The presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2923 general election in Nigeria, Mr Peter Obi, said yesterday it was disheartening for Nigeria to receive food donations from Ukraine, being a country currently at war with Russia.
Recall that amid the food price hike and economic hardship facing the country, the government of Ukraine recently donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in Nigeria’s northeastern region.
Obi, however, noted that while the gesture from Ukraine was laudable, it spoke volumes as to the failures of the Nigerian government to cater for its people.
In a thread posted on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, Mr Obi asserted that this development underscored a national disgrace that “stems from years of leadership failure, necessitating urgent reflection and a reordering of our national priorities and resource management and allocation”.
According to him, this act of human solidarity testifies to a rare generosity of spirit of the people of Ukraine.
He stressed that a situation like this emphasized vigorously the importance of sound political leadership as the first concrete requirement for any nation desiring to develop and enhance the standard of living of its citizenry.
Obi lamented that Nigeria, which once was an economically confident nation, blessed with vast arable land and abundant natural resources, now relied on a war-torn Ukraine for food assistance.
He said: ”Let me begin by sincerely appreciating the war-torn nation of Ukraine for their generous donation of tons of grains to Nigeria, thereby aiding our current fight against nationwide hunger.
”As laudable as Ukraine’s kind gesture is, it speaks volumes for us as a people endowed with all needed human and natural resources, that a country officially prosecuting a brutal war of national survival with its powerful neighbor, Russia, is generous and kind enough with their food supplies to help us who are officially at peace.
For the people of Ukraine, this act of human solidarity testifies to a rare generosity of spirit which should earn them greater global solidarity. It demonstrates our shared humanity.