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LP Lawmaker who supported N160Million SUV For Lawmakers, Says Nigeria Needs To Reduce Cost Of Governance

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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.

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PRESIDENT TINUBU RESCUED NIGERIA’S ECONOMY FROM THE TIPPING POINT—- Gov Chukwuma Soludo

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Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s administration salvaged Nigeria’s public finances from the brink of collapse.

In an address delivered on June 12 at The Platform Nigeria, hosted by Pastor Poju Oyemade and The Covenant Nation, Governor Soludo praised President Tinubu’s economic reforms. He called for a nationwide ethical and ideological rebirth to drive sustainable national development.

Speaking on the theme “Rebuilding Our Nation,” Soludo urged political parties across the country to unite along ideological lines as a first step toward a new, issue-based political culture.

“The audacious structural reforms embarked upon by the current administration of HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu have rescued the economy from the tipping point.”

 

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Peter Obi manipulative liar, playing Yahoo Plus on Nigerians – Reno Omokri

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Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on Friday described ex-Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a liar who uses fake figures to manipulate Nigerians.

Omokri said Obi relied on the ignorance of Nigerians regarding facts to “play Yahoo Plus” on them.

He was reacting to Obi’s claim that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has borrowed more than previous governments.

Reacting, Omokri described Obi’s assertion as part of a long string of falsehoods attributed to his name.

Posting on X, Omokri wrote:
“Yesterday, during his Democracy Day address, Peter Obi, ever the manipulator, used the Naira equivalent of our total public debt to deceive Nigerians and make it seem as though President Bola Tinubu had increased our debt. Actually, Peter Obi lied, and when he lies, he speaks his native language.

“Yes, in Naira terms, our total public debt looks as if it has increased. That is because the floatation of the Naira by President Bola Tinubu and the withdrawal of the $1.5 billion used to subsidise the Naira monthly by the Buhari regime made the Naira drop from between N450 to N550 to $1, to about N1565 today.

“Peter Obi knows this. But he is a liar and manipulator, who counts on your ignorance of the fact to play Yahoo Plus on you.”

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Tinubu surrounded by sycophants, detached from ordinary Nigerians — Bugaje

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A political activist, Usman Bugaje, says President Bola Tinubu is detached from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians because he is surrounded by sycophants.

Bugaje made this statement on Thursday during Channels Television’s special Democracy Day programme titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation on Building a Better Nation,’ commemorating 26 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria, blasting Tinubu’s leadership style.

He alleged that the President’s inner circle shields him from the harsh realities the citizens face.

“It looks like the President has been completely encircled by sycophants. They don’t allow him to see the realities, they don’t tell him the truth. But if he knew what was happening in society, he would be ashamed of himself. As far as I know him, I never thought he would allow this situation.

“He is now there, wallowing in the comfort of the Villa, talking in ways that show he doesn’t even know what is happening in this country. If he knew, he would not be doing the kind of things he’s doing now,” he said.

The former lawmaker also lamented what he called prosperity without production, adding that Nigerians were no longer swayed by polished speeches but were demanding tangible results.

He accused the current Nigerian democracy of failing to serve its core purpose, which is to uplift the people and ensure their welfare.

He also decried the helplessness of many citizens who have suffered in the hands of insecurity and economic hardship, pointing to the stories of kidnapped victims, unemployed youth, and struggling small business owners.

According to him, any government unable to ensure basic welfare and security has lost the moral right to call itself democratic.

While citing statistics to back his claim, Bugaje described the country’s current state as disgraceful.

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