The Nigeria Labour Congress has described the purchase of 108 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps by the Nigerian Senate as an act of corruption and a crime against Nigerians.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement released on Monday, called on the Senate to immediately return the cars to the supplier, else “they should be prepared to keep a date with Nigerian workers and their civil society allies including market women and students.”

The NLC described the lawmakers as greedy and insensitive to the current economic plight of Nigerians and also accused them of inflating the unit cost of each of the 108 exotic cars by 100 percent.

“We consider it appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of the Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps (one for each member less the Senate President) after collecting car “loans” in August last year for the same purpose.”

“It is equally morally despicable and shameful that they are doing this after publicly admitting that the standing committees of the Senate are unable to perform their statutory functions due to paucity of funds.”

“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress equally consider it a willful and grievous criminal act, the inflation of the unit cost of each of the cars by over a 100 percent, as each car supposedly cost N35.1m instead of N17m.”

“Their multiple acts of criminality, ranging from acquiring these cars after previously taking loans for the same purpose; spending money without appropriation and over inflating costs constitute not just corruption but a crime against the Nigerian people whom they claim to represent.”

“Accordingly, we demand they return those cars to whoever supplied them or the appropriate agencies prosecute them for corruption. In the event none of this happens, they should be prepared to keep a date with Nigerian workers and their civil society allies including market women and students.”

Dele Benjamin