The Senate has described as misplaced, a comment credited to a chieftain of the Labour Party, Professor Pat Utomi, over the recent “Let The Masses Breathe” comment by some members of the National Assembly.
Professor Utomi was reported to have criticised the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, for allegedly mocking the masses with his “Let The Masses Breathe” comment.
However, the Senate, in a statement by the its chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, on Sunday in Abuja said the assault by Utomi against Akpabio was misdirected and uncalled for.
It said the comment by Utomi against the decision of the Senate to stop the planned increase of electricity tariffs which would further increase the suffering of the masses was misplaced.
Adaramodu stated: “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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Adaramodu further took an indirect swipe at Utomi, describing him and others in his mould as political irredentists and turncoats.
“Despite this open display of patriotism and sensitivity, some political irredentists and turncoats feel they could turn the omnipotent actuality on its head to gain their lost momentum.
“The Senate didn’t and would not mock the masses, without who there would be no Nigerian Senate,” he added.
He admonished Utomi not to go into political extremism to impugn of the image of the Senate and the person of its President, Senator Akpabio.
“Digging into an extreme partisanship to impugn on the image of the Senate and particularly the personality of the Senate President is quite unfortunate and an exhibition of political superficialism, irreverent and opprobrious outburst.
“We believe that whoever is in the court to pursue a self-awarded electoral victory should not labour to assume that running expletives on the Senate and its leadership is the needed elixir to infuse legal blood into the dry veins of their case.
“The 10th Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has passed many life support resolutions in its short span, including the misinterpreted Senate’s No to Increase in Electricity Tariff,” he stated.
The Senate spokesperson advised Utomi and others whom he described as political rolling stones and pretenders to stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.
“We thus advise political rolling stones and pretenders not to play politics with the lives of Nigerians.
“[They should] allow the National Assembly to join hands with other arms of government to pull out Nigeria from economic morass and make life more abundant for us all,” he added.
