Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, has sparked controversy after he attributed the hunger and economic hardship facing some Nigerians partly to what he described as laziness.
Speaking at an APC presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Yari urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for their economic situation, arguing that hard work and productivity can help people overcome hardship.
“You are hungry because you are lazy. If you work hard, you will not be hungry,” Yari said.
The former Zamfara State governor also criticised what he described as a growing culture of dependency among some young Nigerians, saying many prefer to stay at home and expect financial assistance rather than engage in productive activities.
Yari compared the situation with the past, when, according to him, Nigerians were more involved in farming, trading and manual labour. He argued that people could work on their farms during the day and still return home with food to eat.
He further claimed that some young people today are more interested in spending time on their phones than learning vocational skills, farming or pursuing other productive work, while simultaneously blaming the government for their economic difficulties.