Senate President Godswill Akpabio has encouraged Nigerians to take advantage of any available free food.
His remarks were made during a recent plenary session in the Red Chamber, where he was seen sharing a light-hearted moment with colleagues after delivering the advice.
This suggestion comes at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with severe economic challenges, largely attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s policies, including the controversial removal of the fuel subsidy. In recent developments, Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, NNPC Ltd, raised petrol prices by over 15%—the second increase in under a month—effectively ending a subsidy program that the government claimed had strained its finances. Petrol prices have now surged above N1,000 per litre in various locations across the country.
This is not the first instance of Akpabio making light of the country’s economic struggles. At the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities, Youths, and Women Group Sensitization Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in July, he was filmed mocking Nigerians who were planning to protest against the rising economic hardship. He quipped that while some might protest, he and his fellow National Assembly members would be “eating” during the demonstrations. “Those who want to protest can protest, but let us be here eating,” he stated, reflecting a carefree attitude toward the ongoing challenges faced by many citizens.
