Borno State Government has reacted to allegation of planned “humiliation” of Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, during his scheduled visit to Borno.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Mohammed Dili, in a statement Thursday night, said those behind the claim were sponsored agents of Governor Kashim Shettima’s enemies.
According to him, Borno will gain from the Minister’s visit and it was for that reason Shettima offered to host the strategic agriculture stakeholders meeting in Maiduguri, the state capital.
He said: “I think those saying that rubbish do not actually represent any Christian body, they are just a body of some Youths trying to play politics of 2019 Presidency which is a continuation onslaught by some evil people against the Governor of Borno State.
“For those who don’t know, Çhief Audu Ogbeh was Honorary Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima on Agriculture from 2011 to 2015, they are very close. Audu Ogbeh has visited Governor Shettima in Maiduguri on more than 30 occasions even when Boko Haram was at its highest pick.
“Only two months ago, he was in Maiduguri with the Director General of Food and Agricultural Organisation. Borno is second home to Chief Audu Ogbe. The planned visit of Chief Ogbeh is scheduled in August and it was on the invitation of Governor Shettima who offered to host an important National meeting on Agriculture.
“Ogbeh has been part the Agricultural Transformation of Borno Government since 2011, he was part of all the local and international trips by Governor Shettima on issues relating to Agriculture. At various times, he was with the Governor in China, India and Turkey between 2011 and 2015.
“It was with his support that the Borno Government and the Chad Basin established a 7,000 hectares wheat farm in Marte local government, the highest ever cultivated in Borno which created nearly 30,000 direct jobs for farm families in 2013.
“I think those who sat and created mischief didn’t do their homework well, if they did, they would have realised that Chief Ogbeh has a personal relationship with the Borno State Government and he paid regular visits to Borno State even at a time when Maiduguri was not safe not to talk of now that Maiduguri is relatively safe.
“The public should please disregard that mischievous and misleading press conference that was mainly aimed at creating a false impression that would make the public see the Borno Government as fighting a northern Christian.
“For those who may wish to find out, the Chairman of the Christians Association in Borno State has regularly said that in the history of the State no administration has shown empathy and fairness to the Christian community as much as the administration of Governor Kashim Shettima”.
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