Anger has continued to trail the sarcastic “Let The Poor Breathe joke” by the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate amid the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Nigerians have been complaining about petrol price hike and its effect on commodities.
Some schools had increased tuition fees while electricity companies had moved to raise tarrif.
On Tuesday, Akpabio, while urging the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the electricity distribution companies to stop their proposed electricity tariff increment, passed a motion in a manner many considered ridiculous.
“The prayer is that, let the poor breathe, and Senator Mustapha has seconded that the poor should breathe. Those who are in support of the additional prayer that the poor should be allowed to breathe, say ‘ayes’ and those who are against say ‘nay,’” Akpabio had said jocularly as echoes of laughter reverberated at plenary.
In response, the senators said, “aye”, to which Akpabio said, “The ayes have it! The poor must be allowed to breathe.”
