He urged the people of Benue not to grieve excessively, stressing that Ogbeh had lived a fulfilled life dedicated to service.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to the late former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Innocent Ogbeh, describing him as a “patriot and statesman whose selfless service left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s development.”
The President’s message was delivered by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the funeral service held on Saturday in Ogbeh’s hometown, Benue State.
According to the SGF, President Tinubu deeply appreciated the former minister’s contributions to national development across various roles.
“The President appreciates profoundly the contributions of late Audu Ogbeh to the development of the country in various capacities: as a Minister, Special Adviser, National Chairman of the PDP, and as one of those who midwifed the emergence of the APC, which has been in power since 2015,” Akume said.
He urged the people of Benue not to grieve excessively, stressing that Ogbeh had lived a fulfilled life dedicated to service.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Adegbeope Ogbeh, son of the late minister, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and condolences.
“Our father ran a good race and has finished his course. It is our desire to imbibe his sterling legacies of humility, service, and patriotism,” he said.
The funeral service drew a large crowd of dignitaries, including the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, former Minister of Labour and Productivity Dr. Chris Ngige, Senator representing Benue North-West, Dr. Titus Tartenger Zam, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima.
Also in attendance were members of the National Assembly, government officials, and well-wishers from across the country who came to honour Ogbeh’s memory.
The septuagenarian politician and statesman was finally laid to rest in his ancestral home amid tributes celebrating his decades of service to Nigeria.
