Aba, Abia State – The camp of former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne, has dismissed circulating rumours alleging that the renowned reformer converted Okpulu Umuobo Comprehensive into his private property.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Chiagoziem Enoch, the claims were described as “laughable, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public,” insisting that no private individual has the legal authority to convert public property for personal ownership.
According to the statement, the facility in question became part of the NALDA Institute of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship (NAIE) — a multi-zone agricultural training institute established across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones during Ikonne’s tenure. The institute was designed to train young Nigerians from primary level up to OND in modern agricultural practices.
Enoch noted that Prince Ikonne, guided by the Igbo maxim “aku ruo ulo”, pushed for the South-East zonal campus to be located in Aba. To achieve this, he officially requested the then Abia State Government to provide a suitable site for the institution, which led to the selection of the Okpulu Umuobo Comprehensive premises.
The statement highlighted that similar NAIE campuses were established nationwide, including in Ogun State (South-West), Katsina (North-West), and other zones.
The Aba campus, the report added, is equipped with a 600-capacity sports complex, two administrative blocks, libraries, laboratories, a clinic, nine solar-powered boreholes, a 30-room hostel, and four classroom blocks containing 24 classrooms.
Its agricultural facilities are also extensive, featuring a 50,000-capacity fish pond, poultry pens, a 5,000-capacity snail house, fish hatchery, 50 cage grass-cutter pens, crop fields, three tractors, and hand-held harvesters. The nine solar boreholes serve both the institute and the farm.
Enoch emphasized that such facilities mirror global best practices, where educational programmes are integrated with hands-on training to strengthen national agricultural systems. He reiterated that Ikonne’s vision was to revolutionize agricultural learning and productivity through structured agribusiness education.
Describing Ikonne as “a leader who thinks outside the box,” he added that the former NALDA boss remains committed to initiatives that address Nigeria’s agricultural challenges through innovation and practical solutions.
The statement urged the public to disregard the rumour and remain focused on developmental efforts that benefit the people.
