- Says challenges testing fabric of society
- 'Insecurity across regions, a clarion call for lawmakers'
- Public concerns remind us of socio-economic challenges - Senate leader
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that Nigerians are grappling with the harsh realities of inflation, soaring living costs and an unpredictable market.
He stated this yesterday while welcoming senators during a plenary session in Abuja, following the Senate's resumption from its recess which began in July.
This statement is considered significant due to the reported chummy relationship between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's executive arm and the Akpabio-led National Assembly.
This cooperative dynamic has led to the expedited passage of several controversial bills and motions, including the swift change of the national anthem, and an indicated willingness to speedily pass a request for the procurement of new presidential aircraft.
"In the face of rising economic pressures, our fellow citizens have been grappling with the harsh realities of inflation, soaring living costs, and an unpredictable market," Akpabio said yesterday.
"These challenges have tested the very fabric of our society, and I stand here today to express our deepest empathy for every Nigerian who bears the burden of these trying times.
"Your struggles are not lost on us; it is our sacred duty, as your earnest representatives, to respond with urgency and compassion", the Senate president said.
He added: "The challenges we face are formidable, yet we must confront them with unwavering candour and relentless determination. We must prove ourselves worthy of the trust they have placed in us. In this spirit of resolve, let us pledge that we shall work hand in hand with the executive branch, ensuring that the fruits of democracy and good governance are not mere ideals but tangible realities that every Nigerian can experience."
We'll work to provide succour
Akpabio pledged that the legislature would work in synergy with the executive branch to tackle the challenges facing the nation.
He also urged federal lawmakers to reflect on their constitutional responsibilities and enhance their efforts.
The Senate president highlighted the recent surge in insecurity across various regions as a clarion call for lawmakers to intensify their efforts in taking decisive actions to safeguard communities.
"The President Tinubu-led government will neither retreat nor surrender in its quest to uplift the fortunes of Nigerians", Akpabio asserted.
Senate leader admits challenges
Akpabio's remarks also coincided with an article by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti), published on Tuesday in several national newspapers.
In the article, Bamidele acknowledged that "A lot of events indeed happened between the period we went on annual recess and now."
He highlighted a range of issues, including nationwide protests, fuel shortages, instability in the foreign exchange market, and escalating flood disasters that have worsened humanitarian crises in various states.
"These public concerns remind us of the complexity of our socio-economic challenges, the people's desperation for multi-pronged solutions and the crucial tasks of transforming Nigeria into a federation we can all be proud of," Bamidele said.
He said while the government was working to address these challenges, it must be noted: "This is not the time to play politics with all these issues of national significance, all in the name of strategising to win the 2027 contest. We must remember that there must be 2025 before 2026 and 2026 before 2027."
Daily Trust reports that the acknowledgment of Nigeria's harsh economic realities by both the Senate president and the Senate leader comes as other leaders in the country have voiced their concerns about the state of the nation.
These leaders, including former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) and Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan have recently expressed their views.
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Cardinal Onaiyekan had called for a policy review to alleviate the current economic hardships. General Abubakar, who noted that the hardship appears to be out of control, urged the government to implement measures to address it. He stressed that giving palliatives to the people was not the appropriate solution to the high prices of food and other essential items.
Earlier this month, the chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) resolved to meet with the party's National Working Committee (NWC) and President Tinubu to discuss the state of affairs in the country.
Observers believe that the removal of fuel subsidy on the very day President Tinubu took over and the flotation of the foreign exchange without putting in place appropriate relief measures threw millions of Nigerians into abject poverty.
