By Adadareporters
As Nigerians lament the approval of N160m SUVs for each member of the House of Representatives, an economist says state governors are also culpable.
Dr Chinweike Uba stated on Wednesday in Enugu that, “These things happen at state levels where state governments buy SUVs for assembly members. That is why loans are approved for governors by assembly members without scrutinies.
“State governors also obtain palliatives without the approval of state assemblies for transparency. It’s not only about the N160m SUVs.”
He regretted that Nigerian leaders have failed to reduce the cost of governance despite the prevailing economic realities.
In his words, “We have a retinue aides that contribute nothing to the economy. They are simply paid as political compensation. If these appointees meaningfully contribute to the economy in anyway, there won’t be waste. But they don’t contribute anything.
“Talking about vehicles, why buying new vehicles at ministries while each ministry has a pool of vehicles? Why can’t vehicles be leased from leasing companies so they could be returned periodically, and re-leased by new administrations?”
Recall that former education minister Obi Ezekwesili, Tuesday, described the N160m SUVs given to National Assembly members as ‘vexing’.
She wrote on her X page that, “So that vexing news turned out to be accurate! I read the extremely ludicrous and duplicitous statement released by the spokesman of the @HouseNGR on their insensitive purchase of 360 Toyota SUVs for themselves. You all had the audacity to spend scarce public resources.”
Former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Kingsley Moghalu, earlier described Nigerian leaders as ‘carcass’ for borrowing to buy SUVs to National Assembly members.
Moghalu stated that, “There is a real problem when Nigeria is set to borrow another $1.5 billion from @WorldBank for budget support, and SUVs worth N160 million each are reportedly to be bought for 360 members of the House of Representatives. We are not yet serious as a country. Nigeria is becoming a carcass, and our political class its scavengers.”
