The Nigeria Labour Congress,
NLC, has condemned the planned purchase of 108 SUVs for senators.
The
labour union while describing the alleged move as criminal and heartless, said
Nigerians must rise to kick against it, considering the ailing state of the nation’s
economy.
A
statement by the Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC,
in Abuja, accused the Senate of inflating the unit cost price of the vehicles
by over 100 percent.
According
to the union, each car that was supposed to cost N17 million was hiked to N35.1
million.
The
organization wondered where the senators got such huge sum to buy vehicles at
such price when it was not appropriated in the 2016 budget.
The
statement read: “We consider appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of
the Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Landcruisers 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 was unable to
perform their statutory functions due to paucity of funds.
“Nigerians
are keen to know from where they got money for the purchase of these cars
without appropriation.
“The
defence offered by the Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Abdullahi, is laughable and
childish. According to him, Special Advisers use jeeps, why not Senators or do
Nigerians expect them to trek to work? “Couldn’t this have been put to better
uses such as constituency projects?”
