Nigeria’s Senate President Akpabio Tells Nigerians to ‘Help Themselves’ to Free Food Amid Economic Hardship.
Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has sparked controversy with his recent remarks advising Nigerians to take advantage of free food wherever they find it.
The statement was made during a plenary session in the Senate, where Akpabio was seen laughing with colleagues following the comment.
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The lighthearted remark comes at a time of increasing economic strain for many Nigerians, who are grappling with rising fuel prices and the removal of subsidies by President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The government has defended the subsidy removal, arguing that it is necessary to ease the pressure on public finances, but the move has caused widespread hardship.
In the last month alone, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) raised petrol prices by over 15%, bringing the cost per litre to more than N1,000 in some parts of the country. This marks the second price hike in less than 30 days as the government distances itself from the costly subsidy program.
Akpabio’s comments are not his first to draw attention. In July, while speaking at the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities, Youths, and Women Group Sensitisation Conference in Port Harcourt, the Senate President mocked those planning to protest against economic hardship. He was quoted as saying, “Those who want to protest can protest, but let us be here eating,” a remark that critics have said displays a lack of empathy toward the struggles of ordinary citizens.
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As fuel prices continue to rise and economic pressures mount, Akpabio’s latest remarks have added to growing public dissatisfaction with the country’s leadership.