A former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, passed on on Saturday at the age of 78.
Here are some quick facts you should know about the late elder statesman:
Early Life and Education
Audu Innocent Ogbeh was born in Otukpo, Benue State, on July 28, 1947. He attended Kings College in Lagos, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1968 before proceeding to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for a Bachelor of Arts degree in French. He later earned a Master of Letters degree in French literature from the University of Toulouse in France. After his first degree, Ogbeh worked as a teaching assistant at Ahmadu Bello University, overseeing the teaching of French in northern states, and later became the Head of Department of Languages, Arts and Social Sciences at the Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1977.
Career in Public Service
Ogbeh’s career in public service began in 1979 when he was elected to the Benue State House of Assembly and served as Deputy Speaker. In 1982, he was appointed Federal Minister of Communications by President Shehu Shagari and was reappointed in 1983 as Minister of Steel Development, a position he held until the military coup on December 31, 1983. He later returned as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019 during the first term of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Political Leadership and Farming
A lifelong farmer, Ogbeh established rice mills, cashew plantations, and poultry farms. He was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and served as its National Chairman from 2001 to 2005. He was known for playing a significant role in national politics beyond his home state. He later joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) merged with other parties.
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