Labour Party lawmakers in the National Assembly have ignored the advice of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, not to be a part of the luxury official vehicles being planned for legislators.

Abure had described the alleged plan as insensitive and condemnable given the dire economic situation in the country and urged lawmakers elected on the platform of the Labour Party not to be a part of the profligate spending.

However, Labour Party lawmakers have said that they will accept the vehicles, arguing that they are necessary for their oversight functions and that it is cheaper to buy the vehicles than to hire one every time they need to go on an oversight.

One Labour Party lawmaker, Ngozi Okolie, said that Abure’s demands were unrealistic and that he had yet to provide alternatives to carry out their jobs. 

She also noted that Nigerians were quick to attack lawmakers over things like this whereas politicians at the state level get more benefits than federal lawmakers.

“The SUVs are meant to aid our jobs as lawmakers, particularly as it relates to our oversight functions.

“Yes, he can say that the economy is struggling but having one official vehicle as federal lawmakers isn’t frivolous; it’s a necessity.”

“Commissioners and House of Assembly members get up to two to three of such cars whereas National Assembly members are only getting one car each, yet he (Abure) is complaining and telling us not to collect it.  Does he have any to give to us?

“Is he going to give us work tools to carry out our jobs or does he have an alternative for us? Has Abure told the members in his state in Edo, not to take the official vehicles given to them?,” she said.

Another Labour Party lawmaker, Stainless Nwodo, said that President Bola Tinubu deserved commendation for approving such vehicles for lawmakers. 

He also said that the vehicles were for each constituency, not the personal vehicles for the members, and that they needed the SUVs to ply the bad roads in their constituencies when they needed to visit them and deliver goodies to them.

“National Assembly members should pray for the President and give him three ‘Gbosas’ for his magnanimity to the lawmakers.

“Nobody in the National Assembly is against the SUV, when the SUV comes, we will collect it and use it to bring more benefits to our constituencies; because in the real sense, it is for the constituents.”

The lawmaker added, “I don’t want to believe the chairman of the party said so, because did he give us any vehicle to do our jobs?

“Attributing his reason to economic hardship is pure blackmail. In the first instance, the vehicle is for each constituency, not the personal vehicle for the members.

“Also, we need these SUVs to ply the bad roads in our constituencies when we need to visit them and deliver goodies to them.  This is why the Speaker and the Senate President decided that SUVs are better to visit our constituencies.

“My own stance is that I will take the SUV and use it to deliver dividends to my constituents,” Nwodo said

Neda Imasuen, another LP lawmaker representing Edo South Senatorial District, said he would wait for the vehicles to arrive before making a decision.

He said “I’d urge you to wait until that happens, then we will revisit the issue. I wouldn’t want to count my chickens before they hatch.

“Labour Party has eight senators out of 109 and about 35 in the House of Representatives out of 360. So, I don’t know if it would make any difference if the lawmakers in the party take it or not.

“I don’t think telling them to take or reject would make any difference, I don’t think it would affect anything.”