Senate President Godswill Akpabio has admitted that Nigerians are currently grappling with economic hardship, saying the upper chamber empathised with them.

In his welcome address on Tuesday at the resumption of the Senate plenary after the annual recess, Mr Akpabio said Nigerians witnessed many challenges in the past few months, including the harsh economic hardship, which he said required the lawmakers’ immediate action.

“In the face of rising economic pressures, our fellow citizens have been grappling with the harsh realities of inflation, soaring living costs and an unpredictable market.

“These challenges have tested the very fabric of our society. I stand here today to express our deepest empathy for every Nigerian who bears the burden of these trying times.

“Your struggles are not lost on us; it is our sacred duty, as your earnest representatives, to respond with urgency and compassion,” said the Senate president.

He urged senators to prioritise Nigeria’s security, ensuring every citizen can walk down any street without fear.

Mr Akpabio said the recent surge in insecurity in various regions was a clarion call for lawmakers to double their efforts to craft laws and take decisive actions to safeguard the communities.

He said, “The recent break was an opportunity for us to connect with the heartbeat of your constituents, instilling in them the belief that brighter days lie ahead.”

The Senate president thanked the senators for “exhibiting a great sense of patriotism and a nationalistic spirit.”

“We shall neither retreat nor surrender in our quest to uplift the fortunes of our fellow Nigerians. We must prove ourselves worthy of the trust they have placed in us,” Mr Akpabio said.

(NAN)