From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, called on Senators to return the 108 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps recently acquired to the supplier(s) or be prepared to face the appropriate anti-corruption agencies.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement obtained by Daily Sun in Abuja, warned senators that in the event that none of this happens “they should be prepared to keep a date with Nigerian workers and their civil society allies, including market women and students.” NLC described the issue as despicable and shameful, regretting that the senators wanted to hoodwink Nigerians by collecting the vehicles after they had collected car “loans” in August last year.
“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 paucity of funds.
“We, at the NLC, equally consider it a willful and grievous criminal act, the inflation of the unit cost of each of the cars by over a 100 percent, as each car supposedly cost N35.1 million instead of N17 million. Aside from this, Nigerians are keen to know from where they got money for the purchase of the cars without appropriation.
“The defense offered by the Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, is laughable and childish. According to him, Special Advisers use jeeps, why not senators or do Nigerians expect them to trek to work? In any case, cars are capital projects!”.part of the statement read. NLC said living in reckless luxury and arrogance when there are severe economic challenges and deepening poverty in the land amounted to a crime against the Nigerian people whom the senators claim to represent.