State Of Emergency – Reps Must Not Get 160M Naira Cars EACH ! Share this To Every Nigerian !
LP Condemns Reps’ N160m Proposed Car Gift
Labour Party (LP) has expressed sadness over the plan by the 360 members of the House of Assembly to be gifted with vehicles worth about…
Labour Party (LP) has expressed sadness over the plan by the 360 members of the House of Assembly to be gifted with vehicles worth about N160 million each.
The party condemned what it called the level of insensitivity being displayed by the executive and the legislative arms under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, in a statement on Tuesday, said it is saddening that with deepening poverty among Nigerians, the administration had decided to increase its appetite for a life of opulence to mock hardworking but underprivileged Nigerians.
“How else can any government justify the bloated Federal Executive Council (FEC) of 48 cabinet ministers, with each of them given three luxurious four-wheel drive vehicles on the first day in office, paid for and fueled by taxpayers? This is notwithstanding hundreds of presidential and ministerial aides, as well as numerous aides to the aides, which are being funded by the government.
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“These vehicles will be costing Nigerians about N57.6bn and this is happening at a time when the government claims it cannot afford to increase the minimum wage of N30,000 monthly to workers,” Abure said.
He noted that the price of a bag of 50 kg rice has risen to N50,000 while most families could not even afford two square meals a day.
“This same government is still going round the world cap in hand seeking loans, what a shame! As things stand today, inflation is likely to hit 30 per cent by December, 2023, yet all they are concerned about is the comfort of a privileged few who found themselves in public office.
“Why spend so much money on the import of and purchase of vehicles from other nations amidst the scarcity of needed foreign exchange for manufacturing? Why not empower local manufacturers such as Innoson Motors in Anambra and Peugeot Automobiles in Kaduna to save forex and boost our local economy?
“When our Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, said we in the Labour Party want to move the economy from consumption to production, this is what we mean – Nigeria first!” he said.
Abure urged the government to retrace its step, in the interest of the nation and give priority to revamping the economy instead of its current obsession with luxury living.
He also called on the LP lawmakers in the 10th Assembly to kick against the move in line with the ideology of the party: social justice and equal opportunity for all.
Remember in 2017
About 160 members of the House of Representatives have rejected its leadership’s offer to provide them with official cars.
Daily Sun gathered that the members want cash instead.
The Green Chamber is spending about N6.1 billion on procurement of 360 units Peugeot 508 for members, at a unit price of N17 million.
The cars have been coming in trickles, since December 2015, when the plans to procure them was agreed.
As at August 2017, about 200 units had been procured and distributed to members.
But, a source told Daily Sun yesterday, that members who were yet to get their vehicles are now mounting pressure on the House leadership to give them the monetary value of the cars.
The demand for monetisation of the cars, it was gathered, is against the backdrop of the cash crunch affecting the federal legislature.
Besides, the source said “some of the legislators believe there is no need for the cars as they have spent more than half of their tenure.”
A member, who declined to be named, confirmed the development, and noted that “majority of those yet to get their official cars prefer to be given cash, in lieu of the cars.”
He, however, said the legislators are demanding monetisation of the cars, because “they do’t like Peugeot 508, and not for any other reason.”
The lawmaker, who confirmed that he has gotten his own vehicles, said members had, from the outset, expressed reservations about the car.
He noted that many had expressed preference for Toyota Camry or Prado jeep, and argued that giving cash, in lieu of the cars, would enable them buy cars of their choice.
“Some of them wanted Camry. Some wanted Prado. If they cannot buy them what they want, what is wrong in giving them money to buy. The most important thing is for them to buy.
“ State assembly members are using Prado. Councillors are using Camry. What is the big deal about Peugeot 508? What is Peugeot 508?
“It is an embarrasment for anyone to want to make an issue out of this. Don’t you see the convoy of ministers when they come to the National Assembly?
“If you go to the (Presidential) Villa, they ride Mercedez Benz. There are three tiers of government. They should not be treating us as if we are not part of this government,” the lawmaker stated.
When Daily Sun sought the reaction of the Chairman of the House Services Committee, Nasiru Baballe Ila, whose committee is charge of procuring the cars, he replied in a text message thus; “get in touch with (Abdulrasaq) Namdas, he is the spokesman of the House.”
However, efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Committee on Media, Abdulrasaq Namdas was unsuccessful as his mobile telephone was switched off, as at yesterday night.
Also, Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Hassan Turaki, did not respond to any enquiry on the issue.
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