I did not reject ministerial nomination —Ogbeh

Immediate-past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has dismissed speculations doing the rounds that he rejected the offer of reappointment as minister in the new political dispensation.

Chief Ogbeh stated this in Abuja on Saturday when a delegation of the Idoma Development Forum, led by Dr. Jacob Okwori, paid him a visit to seek clarification on the insinuations surrounding his non-appointment.

While debunking the insinuation, Ogbeh said “there was no such thing that occurred. I never rejected the president’s offer of re-appointment. No one approached me on behalf of the president since we left office on 29th May. And I never went to lobby anyone, because I had a very good and smooth working relationship with the president.

“It is completely falsehood and mischief for anyone to insinuate that I declined the offer of re-appointment.”

He, however, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve under his administration.

• FG to re-construct grazing reserves ― Ogbeh

According to him, “at any rate, I am grateful to the president for giving me the chance to contribute to the development of our dear country in the last four years. President Muhammadu Buhari is such a good man who means well for the country. I believe we all need to support him to take the country to the next level of national development.”

Earlier, leader of delegation, Dr. Jacob Adah Okwori, had expressed dismay over the allegation that Chief Ogbeh, last week, declined interest to be re-appointed into the next level administration of President Buhari, despite “his sterling performance as minister.”

According to him, “we, your kinsmen, are living witnesses to your outstanding performances as minister for agriculture and rural development between 2015 and 2019, when you worked assiduously to transform Nigeria into the world’s Agriculture Centre and flood the global market with food of Nigerian origin.”