Mr Benedict Etanabene, a member of the Labour Party (LP) in the House of Representatives, has said there is a need for Nigeria to reduce the cost of governance to move the country forward.
The lawmaker said this when he appeared as a guest on a live programme aired by Arise News TV, stating that corruption and reckless spending of public funds by political officeholders are to be blamed for the country’s lack of growth.
He said, “I have said it severally and we all agreed that the way we are running the government is too expensive. We must adjust everywhere.
Let me give one clear example: governments shout every day that they are doing bunkering, who are those that do bunkering? The same big men in government in Abuja here. People sell crude more than what the Nigerian government is selling.
We are not even meeting our quota in OPEC. So if we cut down (governance) and corruption, we will gain a lot of money.”
Meanwhile, Benedict was among the lawmakers who lost their voices when the leadership of the 10th National Assembly bought luxurious SUVs valued at about N160 million each for over 460 lawmakers in 2023.
The purchase of these vehicles was a subject of public condemnation, yet none of the lawmakers publicly objected to it as the National Assembly went ahead with the extravagant spending.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project filed a lawsuit against the purchase of the vehicles by the lawmakers
The civil group filed the action on the heels of the statement by Senate President Mr Godswill Akpabio that the Clerk of the National Assembly had sent “holiday allowances” into the “various bank accounts of senators” while the current government had pushed about millions of Nigerians into abject poverty.
In suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1606/2023 filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP seeks: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to review and reduce the N40 billion budgeted to buy 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.
An order restraining Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas from demanding or receiving the N40 billion to buy 465 SUVs and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials until an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the spending on the 137 million poor Nigerians is carried out in the public interest.
