The Nigerian Labour Congress has endorsed the House of Representatives investigation into the alleged monumental waste of public funds by the Petroleum Minister on a private jet for her personal and family use.
Reports estimate that the minister has spent approximately N10 billion in leasing and maintaining the Jet which is owned by a foreign company.
NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, in a statement issued earlier today said the Government should create jobs and stop the private jet jamboree now. He also called on the National Assembly to extend the probe to Governors and other public office holders who are known to own private jets and maintain them with public funds.
“We support the move by the National Assembly to probe Mrs. Allison-Madueke. The probe should equally be extended to the Governors and other public office holders involved in this national shame, ” Omar said.
“It is abhorring that state governors who have always complained of inability to pay the minimum wage to public servants in their states under the pretense of paucity of funds could embark on such wastage at the expense of the sweat and sacrifice of workers and to the detriment of the development of their states.
“The governors, in particular, have collectively made attempts to sponsor bills at the National Assembly to undermine workers interests, particularly on the minimum wage. Each time issues of wages come up, they are the first violators, insisting often times that their states lack the resources to accommodate increase in wages while their tastes and thirsts for high profile life styles goes on unabated.
The NLC boss added, “It is nauseating that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, whose ministry supervises the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which has become the most prominent in financial scandals involving public institutions in Nigeria, will chose to be flying in hired private jets while the petroleum industry is sliding in stinking rots.
“Refineries and other infrastructures under her supervision have totally collapsed; management of resources meant to uplift the industry has become subjects and sources of several scandals in recent times. While the alleged disappearance of over $20billion from the accounts of the NNPC is still a subject of probes by both arms of the National Assembly, the public is still groaning under shortages or complete absence of petroleum products at pump stations.
“This same minister was recently quoted as advocating further excruciating hardships for Nigerians through complete removal of petroleum subsidy, including kerosene which the poor and the working class depend on. Indeed, what is further required is a holistic, transparent and result-driven probe of the entire financial recklessness of public resources on adventures that contribute nothing to the development of our country.
“The lifestyles and greedy thirsts of our public officers are completely deceptive and inconsistent with our collective reality as a country with a non performing economy, high unemployment rate, mass poverty and near total infrastructural collapse, ” Omar stated.