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Bago Under Fire for Seeking Donations on X Despite $10M World Bank Grant
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has donated ₦20 million to victims of the recent flood disaster in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.
Obi made the donation on Monday, June 2, 2025, during a visit to the state, pledging to personally meet with affected families. He was received by Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba at the Niger State Government House in Minna.
The former Anambra State Governor expressed condolences over the disaster, which has claimed over 200 lives and left over 100 missing.
Obi offered prayers for the victims and urged strength for their families.
However, calling on the federal government and other humanitarian agencies to intensify their interventions by ensuring the timely provision of essential relief – shelter, food, clean water, and medical care – to all those affected, Obi said he received the news with sadness.
‘’I received with deep sadness the tragic news of the devastating flooding in the Mokwa Community of Niger State, which has claimed over 100 lives and submerged more than 3,000 homes. This is a heartbreaking and deeply distressing development for our nation.
‘’The scale of destruction is unimaginable – entire families have been displaced, livelihoods destroyed, and whole communities thrown into mourning. My heart goes out, with deep compassion, to all the victims, their families, and the entire Mokwa community.
‘’At a time like this, we are reminded of the importance of empathy, solidarity, and swift action to support one another through grief and loss,’’ he stated.
Obi, who commended handling of the disaster, urged “the federal government, and other humanitarian organisations, to intensify their interventions by ensuring the timely provision of essential relief – shelter, food, clean water, and medical care – to all those affected.
‘’This tragic disaster is yet another urgent call for Nigeria to reassess and significantly strengthen our disaster preparedness systems. We must invest in sustainable and proactive solutions that protect lives and property, particularly in vulnerable riverine communities, as the rainy season continues.”
Obi was accompanied on the visit by the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, and the National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Yunusa Tanko.
In response, the Deputy Governor thanked Obi for his compassion and continued humanitarian support, particularly in times of crisis.
Meanwhile, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has come under fire after appealing to Nigerians on X for donations to help flood victims.
Questions have been raised about why the state government is seeking public donations just six months after Bago announced a $10 million World Bank grant would fund flood prevention in Mokwa.
During a tour in December, Bago assured journalists that the funds would be used to address flooding in the area.
But the same communities that were supposed to benefit from the grant have now been devastated.
Residents have expressed frustration over the lack of tangible results from the much-publicized World Bank assistance.
“Our people are in danger; they need help from the government. We lost so much,” said Tanko Bala, leader of Mokwa’s Hausa community.
