Akpabio Claims Economic Protests are Sponsored, Defends Government’s Policies

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has alleged that the recent wave of street protests in Nigeria, triggered by the rising cost of living, are not genuine expressions of the people’s grievances, but rather orchestrated by some unknown sponsors.

He made this claim in the wake of several demonstrations that have rocked cities such as Ibadan, Niger, Kano, and Sokoto, where Nigerians have protested against the worsening economic situation in the country.

The economic hardship has been aggravated by the decision of President Bola Tinubu to scrap the fuel subsidy and harmonize the exchange rate in 2023, which have led to a sharp increase in the prices of goods and services.

The latest protest occurred on Monday in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, where thousands of people marched to demand better living conditions.

Speaking to the Senate on Tuesday, Akpabio argued that the protesters were not aware of the efforts that the Senate and the Federal Government have been making to address the economic challenges facing the country.

He said, “You can see a lot of sponsored protests here and there but those people are not aware — most of those sponsored protesters are not aware of the kind of efforts made by this senate to tackle the situation together with the management team of the federal government.

He added that the Federal Government has been supporting the state governments with extra funds from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), to help them cope with the food crisis.

He said, “Unverified reports have it that state governments in the last few months have received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), outside their normal allocations from the federation account, to assist them in ameliorating the food situation.

“So we believe that every state government should utilise the funds received towards ensuring that food is available.”

The senate president also assured the citizens that the national assembly will only approve policies that are in their best interest.