Recall, yesterday news making the rounds was the purported famous comment of Audu Ogbeh the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development that ‘Nigerians eat too much rice that is why it is expensive.’

Today, the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Rural development – Chief Audu Ogbeh has dismissed the  news report.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development released a press statement stating that:

“This is totally false, misleading and a sheer display of irresponsible journalism, reckless sensationalism, and poor ethics.”  The Minister also noted his  disappointment with the media on the mischievous headline in question was completely at variance with the content of the news story.

The Minister decried the deliberate misinformation by the media which has become a frequent occurrence and calls for caution, self-censorship and ethical compliance by journalists and social media activists.

The minister stated that what he said during a recent meeting he held with an indigenous Agro Company investing in the production of Irish Potato in Nigeria was that there are  health risks associated with the excessive consumption of rice and advised Nigerians to occasionally substitute rice with potato for improved diet.

Chief Ogbeh  said he 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.

Thus, the Minister has  advised Nigerians to beware of misleading headlines; pay close attention to media reports that come with such and should challenge the Press to abide by their professional ethics.