‘Poverty is not a crime, it can be a virtue’, Akpabio tells Nigerians (Video)

Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio has a knack for making comments many Nigerians think are removed from the reality on ground as far as happenstances in the country are concerned.

Many Nigerians have in the past, accused Akpabio of saying things without giving a thought to the reality on ground, while some say he talks without thinking about the general implications of his comments.

The latest of such ‘reckless’ comments came while he was speaking in Rome after attending the funeral of Pope Francis who was buried on Saturday.

Using the spartan lifestyle of the late Pope as a yardstick, Akpabio said that poverty is not a crime and can sometimes be considered as a virtue, a comment Nigerians have come to attribute to his insensitivity to the hardship and poverty currently prevalent in many parts of the country.

In a trending video which has been shared severally, Akpabio used the late Pope Francis’ life to motivate poor Nigerians, stating that Pope Francis was worth $100 at the time of his demise, insinuating that the Pope’s life was more about what he could do for others than himself.

In his speech, the number three man said:

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“When you look at the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church is not just a church. The Vatican is also regarded as a state. You have the head of state that died and was buried today, heading over 1.5 billion people around the world.

“You have a man who died as a man today, the Pope, who was worth only $100, showing that we cannot worship God in splendour.

“The best way to worship God is through self-sacrifice for others.

“The message is very clear that Nigerians should love one another. Poverty is not a crime and that poverty could sometimes be a virtue, a virtue of God. Whatever you have, you should be able to share with your brothers and sisters, especially during this Easter period.”

Nigerians have come to interpret Akpabio’s remarks as telling them to look beyond the poverty ravishing the country and only think of helping one another as their poverty could be a virtue and a blessing in disguise.

Nigerians have however, called on Akpabio to take the lead by sharing his politically amassed wealth to the public.

Watch the video below:

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