At the Leadership Award ceremony held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on Tuesday, the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, voiced his support for Peter Obi’s condemnation of Nigeria’s acceptance of food donations from war-torn Ukraine. Both Bago and Obi were honored at the event.

In a video circulating on Timeless Update, Governor Bago echoed Obi’s sentiments, stating,

“My boss, you are very right on what you’ve said. We have no reason to be poor. People may not like you, but they must hear you. What you say is the gospel truth.”

Governor Bago emphasized the need for Nigeria to become self-sufficient, denouncing reliance on handouts and palliatives. He stressed the importance of productivity in alleviating poverty, declaring, “It is time we tell ourselves the basic truth. We need to feed ourselves. It is a shame for people like Ukraine in war to be giving us food.”

Previously, Timeless Update had highlighted the donation of 25,000 metric tonnes of wheat from Ukraine to support the World Food Programme’s efforts in assisting 1.3 million crisis-affected individuals in North-East Nigeria.

This initiative, part of Ukraine’s humanitarian “Grain from Ukraine” campaign led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, drew criticism from Obi.

Obi characterized Nigeria’s acceptance of aid from a war-torn nation as a national disgrace, citing it as evidence of leadership failure.

He emphasized the importance of sound political leadership in fostering development and improving living standards.

In response to Obi’s remarks, the Nigerian government defended the decision to accept the grain, asserting that it did not signify weakness or failure on the country’s part.