By Francesca Hangeior
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has congratulated Benue-born Victor Tartenger, popularly known as Chef Naira Victor, on his successful completion of the 135-hour cook-a-thon.
This is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, on Monday. 
Chef Naira Victor embarked on the longest cooking marathon, codenamed “Cook-A-Thon,” on February 27 and ended on March 3.
The chef also donated over 70 per cent of his prepared food to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Makurdi.
After the completion of the cooking marathon, the chef is now awaiting recognition by the Guinness World Record.
The governor said that he was excited by the resilient spirit exhibited by the chef, describing him as tenacious, determined, and a go-getter.
He expressed confidence that the chef’s milestone would be a stepping stone to more successes, even as he encouraged him never to stop believing in himself.
Alia, who had earlier paid a solidarity visit to the chef, applauded the people of the state and other well-spirited individuals for their support in making his dream a reality.
He implored the people of the state to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship and unity, as shown to the chef.
The governor assured of his administration’s commitment to uplifting the youth, as part of his campaign promises towards youth empowerment.
