A former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has caused stirs on social media after asking Nigerians to thank God President Muhammadu Buhari did not call Hilda Baci before her record-breaking cooking event.
OsunDaily News earlier reported that Hilda Bassey Effiong (her full name) broke the Guinness World Record for ‘longest cooking time’ by an individual on Monday morning.
The 27-year-old Akwa-Ibom chef broke the record after she surpassed Indian chef Lata Tandon, who set a Guinness World Record for cooking for 87 hours and 45 minutes non-stop in 2019 to become the new “Guinness World Record” holder.
Congratulations and cheers have been coming in for the young lady who was visited by top celebrities and politicians.
Reacting to Hilda’s achievement, Senator Sani, in a terse statement on his Twitter page, said: “Nigerians should thank God that the President didn’t call Hilda on the phone before her win.”
The lawmaker did not elaborate further on what he meant by his cryptic message, but OsunDaily News understands it was coming after Hilda’s had broken the former record.
Meanwhile, shortly after Hilda reached the initial record for the longest cooking time by an individual, President Buhari shared in the joy of celebrations as he messaged the 27-year-old gourmet chef.
In a statement on Monday through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari lauded the young culinary expert for turning her talent and passion into a career, with a rippling effect on the economy as she runs a restaurant in Lagos, and trains other talents on entrepreneurship, and now leads the world in resilience, perseverance, and consistency in cooking.
The President’s statement read: “The President notes the antecedents of the restaurateur, who dazzled at the Jollof Face-off Competition, 2021, preparing mouth-watering dishes that won the choice prize, and settled an age-long rivalry with Ghana on which African country should own the trademark for cooking better jollof- rice.
“President Buhari believes Hilda Baci’s drive and ambition have brought more interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food, as another cultural icon, with huge tourism benefits, hoping more young people will follow in her footsteps.
“The President thanks the sponsors of Hilda Baci Cook-a-thon, government officials, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, celebrities from the bubbling music and movie industry, and fans of the chef for all the support that has brought glory to the country.
“President Buhari wishes Hilda Baci more grace for a prosperous career.”
