The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is currently trending on X (Twitter) after a video of him was posted online where he advised Nigerians to eat free food wherever they see the opportunity.
The viral video shows Akpabio saying: “Times are difficult, and wherever you see free food, please endeavour to avail yourself.”
The video appeared to have been made in a lighter mood during plenary. The comment was greeted with laughter from fellow senators.
Many netizens thought the joke was ill-conceived considering that the pain Nigerians are currently going through was inflicted by the current administration which the Senate President was a strong part of.
A few of the policies of President Bola Tinubu has made lives considerably difficult for the masses.
He announced removal of subsidy fuel policy during his inauguration before he even had the chance to see his predecessor’s handover notes.
The announcement instantly created fuel shortage as many marketers locked up their stock to understand what the new rates would be for the products. They subsequently adjusted their pump prices even though they were selling old stocks at the time of the president’s announcement.
Tinubu next floated the naira sending the Naira crashing against the dollar. The administration has also adjusted taxes upward.
All the measures have adversely impacted food prices shooting them out of the reach of most people.
Just when Nigerians thought they had seen the worst in terms of increment of fuel prices, the NNPC increased the price of PMS (petrol) last Wednesday to N998 per litre in Lagos up from N868, and N1,030 per litre in Abuja, up from N897. It was a second increment in one month.
Nigerians are knocking the senate president for his knack for making light of serious national issues.
In August, he mocked Nigerians planning the #EndBadGovernance protest in August, saying, “Those who want to protest can protest, but let us be here eating.”
