‘Let the poor breathe’: Senate rebukes Utomi, says joke not meant to berate Nigerians

<p>The Senate has faulted chieftain of the Labour Party, Professor Pat Utomi over his remarks that the remarks attributed to President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, ” Let the Poor Breathe”, was meant to ridicule Nigerians.</p>, <p>Akpabio had made the comment while the Senate was taking a decision to stop the planned increase of electricity tariffs.</p>, <p>Making a clarification in a statement at the weekend, Senator representing Ekiti South and Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, described the interpretation by Professor Utomi as misplaced and deliberately slanted to paint the lawmakers in bad light in the eyes of Nigerians.</p>, <p>The Senate spokeserson said, “the Senate is alarmed at the insidious misinterpretation enunciated by some political surrealists, who always leave the causes of their troubles to look for unnecessary scapegoats.</p>, <p>“The personal tirades and character assaults hauled at the Senate President by Professor Pat Utomi, are misdirected and uncalled for. Insinuating that the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio, was mocking the Nigerian masses with the phrase ‘LET THE POOR BREATHE, is dressing falsehood and mischief in an undesirable garment.</p>, <p>“The Senate is an assembly of Distinguished men and women, who are sent by the Nigerian public to the Hallowed Chamber to represent their interests. The public-interest motion to halt an increase in the electricity tariff for Nigerians is one of such instances that tests the Senatorial responsiveness of Distinguished members of the 10th Senate.</p>, <p>” With the fire of the fuel subsidy removal still smouldering, the Senate opined that any increase in electricity tariff would be suffocating and that whoever is desirous in doing so should allow the poor; all Nigerians to breathe.</p>, <p>“The Senate President compassionately, hit the gavel with a stoic warning that any such attempts would be obnoxious, ludicrous and could only seize oxygen from the reach of the masses.</p>, <p>“Des