By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, has said that Benue State has the potential to be richer than Rivers State if given the right leaders
Speaking while receiving an aspirant form bought and presented to him by his friends and associates under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Abuja, Dr. Orhii stressed that if the agricultural potentials inherent in Benue State are properly harnessed, Benue can be the richest state in the country.
“As you know, Benue has a lot of potentials, especially, in agriculture that it can be richer than Rivers state.
“For us, agriculture is our crude oil, we can make more money and deliver good governance in Benue State. I am particularly positioned to do that because of my previous service at NAFDAC.
“I was able to see the other countries how the food industry has turned those countries around and we have that potential in Benue that is why they call it the Food Basket of the nation.”
He insisted that: “I am uniquely placed to develop the agricultural potentials of Benue because I was in NAFDAC for more than 7 years and in that position, I was able to travel to other countries and see how much they realized from agriculture. I am going to tap from that potential. I am one person who is uniquely placed than any other person.
Dr. Orhii further noted that he will build on the successes made by the current administration in the state to end the insecurity plaguing the residents of the state.
“Benue has been plague by security challenges, and you know that the present governor is doing well in that area to secure the Benue valley. I will build on whatever he has done.
“I am not the smartest, but the luckiest. God placed me in that position for a reason. I will stand on the infrastructure that has been built and foundation that has been laid by previous administrations and the current government and then take Benue to greater heights.”
While thanking his friends and associates for the gesture, the former NAFDAC Director General said: “With this support, we will go forth and do our best, already, people from my local government have given me their mandate to go out and win the governorship so that we can begin to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“I promise that with this, I will go forth, do my best. It is not about myself, it is about the people of Benue State and Nigeria at large.”
Earlier, the representative of the friends and associates of the for NAFDAC Director General, Otunba Olumide, said that they bought the form for him because they believe in his capacity to transform Benue State.
According to him: “We believe in his antecedent while in NAFDAC and his personal life, how he relates with people while in government and outside government, the scholarship he gave to students and all that.
“We have seen the impact he has made on people, especially, the indigenes of Benue State both the old and the young. We believe that he can do much more as a governor in Benue state
“With that we have been able to rally round as friends to come to present the form to him.”
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