By Tony Ezike
The recent call by the National Chairman of Labour PartyNG Mr Julius Abure for outright rejection of the flamboyant automobiles allocated to them could be a strategic testing ground for the integrity of not only lawmakers of the Labour Party extraction, but that of their colleagues from other political parties in the country.
Abure who dished out the charge to lawmakers elected on the platform of LP in a statement on Tuesday emphasized the importance of resisting the temptation of compromising the party’s political ideology, particularly their personal integrity which is obviously more important than the flashy gifts being dangled in front of them.
Random analysis of the government’s decision to embark on such spending spree at this point revealed that most people perceived the idea as insensitive, uncalled for and inappropriate considering the demand-pull, cost-push and inflation expectations, which has reduced the country to a borrowing economy.
According to reports, the procurement of Range Rover and Prado brands of 2023 SUV models at the cost of ₦160 million each is to say the least outrageous. Sadly, these automobiles were reportedly imported already and currently being assigned to Members of the Federal House of Representatives, yet many people expressed surprise that there is no single report of any lawmaker who has rejected the allocation.
As it stands, one cannot help but wonder what it takes for government to patronize indigenous vehicle manufacturing and assembling firms, save the exorbitant cost of foreign exchange, while strengthening the capacity of home-based investors.
The NASS leadership would be spending a whooping sum of ₦57.6 billion to procure 109 Toyota Land Cruisers for senators and 2023 Toyota Prado for 360 members of the House of Representatives in the face of abject poverty pervading the land at the moment.
Obviously all eyes are gradually shifting from the judiciary to the legislature in view of the ignoble character some of them share in reckless decisions that usually end up escalating the impoverishment of Nigerian citizens, just so they could expand their purses and estates to nurture their insatiable covenant with avarice.
There are few good ones, no doubt, but who will listen to dissenting voices when the sharing rights of the 10th Assembly has just been signed into law by the lawmakers themselves? Unfortunately, this is coming as the poor masses only get to hear about palliative measures on radio and other media channels amid severe economic crisis.
The compelling need for institutional alliance against this bureaucratic onslaught has become more expedient in view of palpable collapse of the country’s democratic pillars. To this end legal application of constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens cannot be overemphasized since their continued existence is no longer guaranteed.
……Meanwhile, Abure should be cautious and watch his back because corruption has a way of fighting back and self-serving lawmakers in his party would certainly not take his views on the matter lightly. Hence, his position as national chairman of the party might be subjected to another round of political battle..
