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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has dismissed news report quoting him as saying ‘Nigerians eat too much rice, that’s why it is expensive’.
A statement issued by his Adviser on New Media, Aishat Ayijimoh Onusi, quoted the minister as saying: “This is totally false, misleading and a sheer display of irresponsible journalism, reckless sensationalism and poor ethics.”
Describing the headline as ‘mischievous’, the minister said it was “completely at variance with the content of the news story”.
Explaining further, the minister said during a recent meeting he held with an indigenous Agro Company investing in the production of Irish Potato in Nigeria, he talked about the health risk associated with the excessive consumption of rice and advised Nigerians to occasionally substitute rice with potato for improved diet.
The minister wondered how the statement attributed to him in the headline “came about when no supporting statement or quote was provided in the content of the news report”.
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