N160m Vehicles: We’ll Decide What to do When We See Them

Members of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives have said that they will decide on the action to take when the official vehicles meant for members are made available.

The members believe that the statement credited to the National Chairman of the party that they should reject the official vehicles to be allocated to them by the National Assembly was not the decision of the party.

The National Chairmam of the party, Julius Abure, had in a statement in Abuja asked the party’s members in the 10th Assembly to kick against what he described as unnecessary waste of resources, in line with the ideology of the party, which is social justice and equal opportunity for all.

Abure said: “A few days ago, the news filtered that 360 members of the House of Representatives are to be gifted with vehicles worth about N160 million each.

“The Labour Party is indeed shocked, saddened and disappointed at the level of insensitivity being displayed by the executive and the legislative arms of the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

“It is saddening that with deepening poverty among Nigerians, the administration has decided to increase its appetite for a life of opulence to mock hardworking but underprivileged Nigerians.”

But Leader of the Labour Party Caucus in the House, Hon. Victor Ogene, told The Nation on the phone that he was yet to see any vehicle, adding that things should always be put in proper perspectives.

Asked whether members of the party in the House will adhere to the views of the National Chairman, Hon. Ogene said “I don’t think he said so”.

He asked rethorically: “Is that a directive or a suggestion? We should always put things in proper perspective. Where did the party sit to take that decision?

“The long and short of it is, speaking for myself, I have not seen any vehicle. It is the same thing with everybody else.

“So, if we have not seen any vehicle, what are we talking about? When we see the vehicles, we will decide.”

Spokesman of the House, Hon. Akin Rotimi, has confirmed a trending media report of plans to purchase official vehicles for members, adding that the procurement process was already in place.

Hon. Rotimi was however quick to add that the vehicles to be presented to the members in the coming weeks are not personal gifts but official vehicles for their oversight assignments.