NLC criticises Senators over purchase of jeeps

chika ebuzor

April 19, 2016 7:17 AM

The labour leader also said it is criminal for the Senators to purchase the vehicles after receiving loans for the same purpose in August 2015.

The President of

Wabba also accused the Senators of inflating the price of the vehicle from N17m to N35.1m.

The labour leader called on the lawmakers to return the jeeps or face the wrath of the Nigerian people.

Wabba said “We consider it appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of the Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps (one for each member less 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 paucity of funds.”

He also said “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress equally consider it a wilful 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 N35.1m instead of N17m.

“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 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,” Wabba said.

The Senate has also come under fire over attempts to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) act.

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chika ebuzor