N160 million SUVs: Abure urges party’s senators and representatives to fight government’s reckless spending

Members of the 10th National Assembly from the Labour Party, LP, have been urged to take a stand against what the party calls the Federal Government’s “wasteful” expenditure.

Julius Abure, the LP’s national chairman, issued the call while criticizing the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu of being extremely insensitive.

According to Abure, the National Assembly will provide everyone of its 360 members a N160 million car allowance.

He pondered why the federal government did not support domestic automakers to stimulate the economy.

Abure signed a statement criticizing the Federal Government for choosing luxury while millions of Nigerians suffer from extreme poverty.

“A few days ago, word spread that the 360 members of the House of Assembly are going to be given cars worth about N160 million each,” Abure stated. To say the Labour Party is startled, disturbed, and disillusioned by the insensitivity of the executive and legislative branches of the All Progressives Congress administration led by President Bola Tinubu would be an understatement.

It’s tragic that the government has decided to enhance its desire for opulence in the face of worsening poverty, as a snub to the country’s hardworking but poor citizens.

To paraphrase one critic, “How else can any Government justify the bloated Federal Executive Council of 48 cabinet ministers, with each of them handed three expensive four-wheel drive vehicles on the first day of office, paid for and fueled by taxpayers? The government is still paying for hundreds of aides to the president and ministers, not to mention a large number of aides to the aides.

These cars will cost Nigerians an estimated N57.6 billion at a time when the government says it can’t afford to raise the minimum wage from its current level of N30,000 per month.

What kind of heartless government charges N50,000 for a 50-kilogram bag of rice when most households can’t afford to eat three square meals a day? What a shame that the same administration keeps circling the globe, begging for aid in the form of loans.

“As things stand, inflation is expected to surpass 30 percent by December 2023, yet all they care about is the convenience of a select few who have stumbled into public office and have the resources to cater to their every whim.

When foreign exchange is scarce and badly needed for industrial production, why import and buy so many vehicles from other countries? Instead of spending hard-earned dollars on imported goods, why not support domestic producers like Innoson Motor in Anambra and Peugeot Automobiles in Kaduna?

This is what we mean by putting Nigeria first, as our presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has stated: we want to shift the economy away from consumption and toward manufacturing.

In the interest of our great country, we beg this administration to reconsider its priorities and put fixing the economy ahead of its current preoccupation with luxuries.

In keeping with the party’s vision of social justice and fair opportunity for all, we are also urging Labour Party legislators in the 10th Assembly to fight this waste of resources. If they don’t act ethically and responsibly with the electoral trust bestowed upon them, Nigerians will hold them accountable.

Nigerians are tired of the current administration and want new leaders who would consider the needs of the country’s impoverished populace. There needs to be some breathing room for the underprivileged in this country.