The
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) monday warned the Senate to return about 108
Toyota Land Cruiser sports utility vehicles (SUVs) it bought for senators or
face the wrath of the Nigerian people who are at the moment facing excruciating
economic pains and hardship.
NLC
President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said in Abuja that the purchase of the cars was
wrong and insensitive in the face of the suffering of the masses.
According
to Wabba, “We consider as appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of the
Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles (one for each member, except
the Senate president) after collecting ‘car loans’ in August last year for the
same purpose.
“It
is equally morally despicable and shameful that they are doing this after
publicly admitting that the standing committees of the Senate are unable to
perform their statutory functions due to the paucity of funds.”
NLC
observed that the temerity of the Senate to go ahead with the purchase of the 108
Toyota SUVs after pocketing the car loans amounted to a criminal act calculated
to short change the nation.
“We
at the Nigeria Labour Congress equally consider it a willful and grievous
criminal act, the inflation of the unit cost of each of the cars by over a 100
per cent, as each car supposedly cost N35.1 million instead of N17 million.
“Aside
from this, Nigerians are keen to know from where they got the money for the
purchase of these cars without appropriation. The defence offered by the Senate
spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, is laughable and childish.
“According
to him, Special Advisers (in the presidency) use SUVs, why not senators or do
Nigerians expect them to trek to work? And in any case, cars are capital
projects,” Wabba quoted him as stating.
Wabba
continued: “Couldn’t this have been put to better use such as the constituency
projects of these same senators? At a time of severe economic challenges and
deepening poverty in the land, can the Senate afford this level of reckless
luxury and arrogance?
“The
answer is, ‘No’. Their multiple acts of criminality, ranging from acquiring
these cars after previously taking loans for the same purpose; spending money
without appropriation and over inflating costs constitute not just corruption
but a crime against the Nigerian people whom they claim to represent.
“Accordingly,
we demand they return those cars to whoever supplied them or the appropriate
agencies prosecute them for corruption. In the event none of these happens,
they should be prepared to keep a date with Nigerian workers and their civil
society allies including market women and students. No one is above the law.”
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