The gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for Ogun State in the last general elections, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi has berated members of the National Assembly over their plan to purchase 469 sports utility vehicles at the rate of N160m each.
Olufemi Ajadi via a statement made available to The Herald on Friday opined that such plan shows that the lawmakers are insensitive to the current suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
Recall that Chairman, Senate Committee on Services, Sunday Karimi has said that there is nothing bad in the purchase of 469 cars for members of the National Assembly.
Added that the two chambers of the National Assembly decided to buy the luxury cars for lawmakers because they want vehicles that will not only be durable on Nigerian roads but also be able to maintain for the period of four years.
“It was based on a comparative analysis of the cost of technical issues and durability on Nigeria roads… We want something that we can maintain for another four years.
“And the issue of buying vehicles for the National Assembly, you know it is a recurring issue, it occurs every assembly, it will always come up,” Mr Karimi said.
Lawmakers are insensitive – Olufemi Ajadi
But, Olufemi Ajadi, in the statement said that he was surprised that the lawmakers are insensitive.
He said, “Many Nigerians are unable to feed themselves. Many are dying daily as a result of poverty. Many school children are dropping out of schools due to the current high inflation rate. It is sad that our senators are thinking and behaving as if they are not living in Nigeria. They are behaving as if the plights of Nigerians is not their problem. They are highly insensitive and immorally unconscious of the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
“If they are sensitive, will they be talking of cars costing billions of Naira when the exchange rate of Naira to dollar is unarguably embarrassing. It is also sad that many of our national legislators are justifying the purchase of the SUVs at such an exorbitant rate on bad roads across the length and breadth of the country.
“That cannot be a justification; the bad roads signs that they are not doing well in government. We need to ask them, whose duty is it to provide good roads if not for the Federal Government, of which Senator is part of.
“The development has also shown that our senators and House of Representatives members hardly go back to their constituencies to feel their situation once they are elected.”