Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, has tipped Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State for the president once it is the turn of Ndigbo to produce the president.
Ogbe, an All Progressives Congress stalwart and member of the President Muhammadu Buhari headed Federal Executive Council, said this at the commissioning a new 40 tonnes per hour Fertilizer Blending Plant built by the Peoples Democratic Party-led Ebonyi State Government in Abakaliki.
The Minister, who hinged his preference on Governor Umahi’s unequalled achievements in the area of agricultural development, emphasized that the time was near for the South East to produce a president of the country.
He noted that Umahi has worked very hard to justify the mandate of the people of the State in all areas of good governance and at such represented the kind of president desired for continued economic emancipation of Nigeria.
According to the Minister, the success story of President Buhari in agricultural revolution cannot pass without the mention of the invaluable contributions of Umahi, who, he said, by his ingenuity has made the Ebonyi rice a popular brand across the country and beyond.
He further stated that the nation, through the efforts of the Governor and a few others has become self sufficient, particularly in rice production, thereby drastically reducing expenditure on grain importation.
Ogbe, who used the event to reveal that Umahi has won the Presidential Best Governor of the year award in Agriculture, said Buhari would in a few days personally hand over the award plaque to him in Abuja.
Describing the plant as a huge agricultural input factory, he noted that it was the only fertilizer plant in both the South East and South South zones of the country and appealed to Ebonyi people to support Umahi for being a leader who knows the way to a glorious economic destination.
Ogbeh stressed: “It is always a thing of delight to come to Ebonyi.
“We have been driving through Ebonyi State and not one pothole on the road.
“You know, Your Excellency, I want to say it before your people that we are very proud of you.
“The primary responsibility of a governor is to develop the economy of the State.
“Politics is nothing.
“Politics will come and go but when you have a good leader, lifting the economy of the State, creating jobs, saving people from hunger and disease, hold on to him and pray for him.
“Yesterday, you won a prize in Abuja, awarded by the President himself for your contributions in agriculture.
“The Plaque will be delivered to you shortly.
“We are very proud of you for your commitment.
“We are thoroughly amazed with what we see here today.
“Please remember that anywhere, anytime we mention our successes in agriculture, your name comes up.
“Your rice is in every supermarket in Abuja and in Lagos and you are one of the five Governors who have succeeded in making Nigeria almost self sufficient in rice production.
“You have reduced rice import by 90 per cent and we have saved some seed import in the last 34 months to the tune of $21 billion as a country.
“It is men like you that will make Nigeria grow.
“Let us say this: that in no distant future, the South East should give us a president and you have worked for it.
“I want to thank you very much the people of Ebonyi.
“Continue to give him support.
“Continue to work hard and this man will lead you well and free all of us from poverty and want.
“When you have a man leading your way, pray for him, support him and he will take you there.”
Governor Umahi in his remarks said the establishment of the fertilizer plant was a follow up to the President’s agricultural policies and programmes.
He added that he was motivated to set up the plant owing to the hitherto scarcity and high cost of the input, which had in the past affected agricultural production in the zone.
According to him, the cost of fertilizer in the State and beyond had been drastically reduced through the operation of the automatic blending plant.
Umahi explained: “Before now, fertilizer was a scarce commodity in Ebonyi State and that limited a lot of agricultural activities.
“Any time you saw it, it may be between N8,000 and N12,000 per 50kg bag.
“But today, through the initiative of Mr. President in the area of fertilizer and agriculture, we keyed in and we are reaping the dividends.
“And we are very proud of you.
“Very proud of the CBN Governor, the former Minister of Finance and, of course, the President and the Vice President.
“Today, we cannot only feed ourselves but feed South East, South South and even the middle belt.
“Today, fertilizer is between N5,000 and N5,500.”
Conducting the Minister and his entourage round the plant in company of Governor Umahi, the General Manager of the Ebonyi State Fertilizer Company and Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Prof. Ogbonnaya Chukwu, said the plant became possible due to the unflinching support and commitment of the Governor.