The Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, has urged its members in the House of Representatives to reject the purported N130 million worth car gift to them by the National Assembly.
The House had on Sunday, October 16 revealed that each of the 360 lawmakers received a brand new Prado SUVs totaling N57.6 billion but claimed the cars were not personal gifts but the property of the National Assembly.
Abure in a statement says the LP was indeed shocked, saddened and disappointed at the level of insensitivity being displayed by the executive and the legislative arms of the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress administration.
He said it was saddening that with deepening poverty among Nigerians the administration had decided to increase its appetite for a life of opulence to mock underprivileged Nigerians.
He said: “How else can any government justify the bloated Federal Executive Council 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.
“These vehicles will be costing Nigerians about N57.6 billion 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.
“A bag of 50 kg rice is today N50,000 and most families can’t afford two square meals a day, how insensitive can a government become? This same government is still going round the world cap in hand seeking for loan, 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 Motor 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.”
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“We are also calling on the Labour Party legislators in the 10th Assembly to kick against this unnecessary wastage of resources in line with the ideology of the party which is social justice and equal opportunity for all. Nigerians will hold them responsible if they fail to live above board or give proper account of the electoral investment reposed in them. Nigerians are fed up with the status quo and they crave for a different leadership that must factor the interest of the suffering masses. The poor must be allowed to breath again in this country,” he said.
