Akpabio never said ‘he would eat while youths protest’ – Okolugbo

Consultant Communications and strategy office of the Senate President, Sir Kenny Okolugbo has faulted media reports, where the Senate President Godswill Akpabio was alleged to have said that “he would be eating while protesters are protesting”.

In a statement he sent to Vanguard on Wednesday night, Okolugbo noted that Akpabio never said “he and others will be EATING while the protesters will be PROTESTING”.

He described the report as uncharitable, saying that its motive was to bring Akpabio in conflict with the Nigerian masses.

Explaining further, Okolugbo opined: “He was only quoting the MD of the NDDC that said the Niger Delta Youths have never had it so good with himself and the Amnesty boss on the saddle that it was a government of the Youths who will not be interested in regime change rather will own the GOVERNMENT and will not protest but rather be eating.

“The import of his visit was a declaration that the nine states of the Niger Delta will not be involved in any protest being the most senior government official from that region he feels their pain and that there is hunger in the land. This event was covered by a national television live.

“Speaking at the NDDC sponsored youth stakeholders summit in Port harcourt today 30th July 2024 he reiterated that protest almost led to Anarchy in Kenya and the negative effects is still reverberating. He said while the degradation in the Niger Delta due to oil exploration and exploitation persist there have been no protest. The fact that the government is doing so much to address the situation at hand like the minimum wage bill, passing into law and signing by the President of the Northwest Development Commission, the Southeast Development Commission recently

“He launched the immediate payment of 10,000.00 youths to earn instantly N50,000.00 per month, as a way of ameliorating the pains and hardship being experienced but like the pregnant woman that takes nine months to deliver the pains that would accompany the birth of the child is also unbearable.

“The people of the Niger Delta have been urged to exercise patience with the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That one year is not enough to judge the performance of the administration.

“According to Kenny Okolugbo Consultant Communications and Strategy Office of the Senate President the youths where filled with so much joy and excitement and passed a voice vote of no protest and confidence on the Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The empowerment scheme is for those not gainfully employed and it was reiterated that it will be devoid of politics and strictly for the nine states of the Niger Delta all the local government areas and wards”.