The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, on Sunday, denied a viral report that claimed the Senate President Godswill Akpabio make a derogatory statement against fellow Nigerians protesting against hunger and bad governance across the country.
The social media had been awash with a viral video where Akpabio had allegedly said the “youths can protest, while we will be here eating” during a programme organised last week by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, before the commencement of the August 1 protests.
But Eyiboh, who was responding to questions from.
Dr. Reuben Abati on Arise TV’s breakfast programme: “THIS DAY” yesterday, said the statement was allegedly made by the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, during a programme organised by the commission.
When Abati asked him if Akpabio actually said the words in the video, Eyiboh said they were not the words of the Senate President.
Eyiboh said Akpabio only repeated what the NDDC’s MD said, adding that those circulating the statement were driven by malice and hate.
He added: “What I am trying to say is that whoever sent a text to you or sent a message to you, of course, it is intentioned by malice and hate.
“I am saying that it is the Managing Director of NDDC who made a statement. That statement, if you go to the NDDC website, you will see it.
“Anywhere you go, we have also made efforts in popularising it so that we will know where the fact lies.
“All the Senate President said and did was ‘thank you very much, Mr. MD, for making that statement’, and he went ahead to thank the Niger Delta people and said they should not go on protest but should own the government because the benefits of this government to Niger Delta is tremendous and enormous.”
