Akpabio and Another Blunder

At the end of the day, one can only sigh and trust that better days are ahead. As for Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his histrionics, the coming days will tell whether choosing him as the head of the 10th National Assembly was the right thing to do.

A viral video is currently making the rounds on social media. In the video, Akpabio is concluding the proceedings of the Senate and makes the following statement: “In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly.”

Although a member of the House rushed forward to remind Akpabio that the proceedings were still on-air, it was too late for the Senate President. Even so, he amended his happy declaration, stating that prayers, not “a token” had been sent to the senators.

Needless to say, the incident has riled up many Nigerians. Given the conditions of the country and the high level of economic hardship, Akpabio’s statement has been received as a mockery of the common people. This is not the first time the Senate President has been perceived as making jest at the expense of suffering people.

Very recently, Akpabio was captured using the gavel to finish an issue raised by a senator. He asked the members of the House to vote on whether the poor should be allowed to breathe, an exercise that his audience took up with cheer and merriment. But it broke the hearts of Nigerians at home and abroad.

Therefore, this “token” video is salt on injury. A litre of fuel is sold at N617, 1 Dollar is priced at around N800, and the cost of almost everything in the country has doubled. With these things in mind, Akpabio’s statements and “prayers” take on a different tone.

One can only conclude that the man’s happiness got the better of him. Nevertheless, with suffering Nigerians watching, Akpabio goofed big time.