Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has suggested that the recent street protests across various parts of Nigeria, sparked by the surging cost of living, are not entirely grassroots movements but are, in fact, sponsored.
This assertion came amid a wave of demonstrations in cities like Ibadan, Niger, Kano, and Sokoto, where citizens have voiced their frustrations over the escalating economic hardship.
The economic strain felt by many Nigerians has intensified following President Bola Tinubu’s decision to end the fuel subsidy and unify the exchange rate in 2023, measures that have contributed to soaring inflation rates.
The latest protest took place on Monday in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, reflecting a growing discontent among the populace.
Addressing the Senate on Tuesday, Akpabio remarked that the protesters might not fully comprehend the efforts being made by both the Senate and the Federal Government to mitigate these economic challenges.
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.
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 said the national assembly will not approve anything that would not benefit the citizens.
