Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reacted to comments credited to Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the decision of the federal government to receive free grain donation from war-ravaged country, Ukraine.
Recall that few days ago, Ukraine donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in northeast Nigeria amidst rising inflation and food price spikes.
Obi had described Nigeria as a “failed state” for accepting Ukraine’s offering of wheat amid the widespread hunger and economic hardship facing the country.
Reacting to Obi an event in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister said accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria a failed country.
The minister noted that it was a normal thing for countries to depend on one another for support.
“Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine. The fact that Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine does not make it a failed state,” the minister said.
“The fact that we are having challenges at the moment does not make Nigeria a failed state.
“Therefore, accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria or Egypt failed countries. It is a normal thing, because countries exist to depend on one another.”
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu was aware of the challenges bedeviling the country.
He said, “Nigerians voted for Tinubu with the deeper understanding and conviction that he has the capacity to turn things around for the better; and that is what he is doing.
“Some of the decisions he has taken were to ensure that Nigeria finds its place in the comity of nations.
“The decisions include removal of fuel subsidy and addressing the issue of foreign exchange and many others.
“In spite of the current challenges, the economic growth of Nigeria is on track and has continued to improve.”
He explained that fuel subsidy removal was a bold step in the right direction and urged Nigerians to support the president as the country would soon begin to reap the benefits.
Idris also noted that President Tinubu had demonstrated capacity and since his assumption of office, had “attracted more than 30 billion dollars in foreign investments into the country.
