Youths in Lagos and Abuja protested on Monday against giving SUVs to National Assembly members.
In Ikeja, Lagos, the youths gathered in large numbers, held placards, and chanted slogans like ‘Support education, not SUVs,’ ‘Provide a decent wage, not SUVs,’ ‘Give back the SUVs now,’ and ‘Invest in hospitals, not SUVs,’ among others.
According to the protesters, “Lawmakers buying SUVs with public funds is insensitive when the majority are suffering.”
One of the protesters, Juwon Sanyaolu said “Workers are still battling for a living wage as the N33,000 minimum wage is not sustainable but we have people at NASS taking delivery of exotic vehicles with about N160bn. Students are dropping out of school because of costly fees. It’s insensitive. They must return the SUVs and fund education.”
He further said, “They’re the ones receiving hardship allowance. What hardship are they facing? What hard work are they doing?”
In Abuja, a group of youths also assembled at the Unity Fountain to join the protest.
“This is the right time for Nigerian people to stand up for their rights and say enough is enough.
“Fuel is now N650 per litre but senators are buying SUVs worth N160m while people are suffering,” a protester Emmanuel Larry said in Abuja.
Similarly, legislators in the Red Chamber are set to receive their initial batch of SUVs this week, and the remaining SUVs for lawmakers are expected to arrive by December.
This move has faced strong criticism from Nigerians.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action by filing applications for an injunction in a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to prevent lawmakers from receiving the SUVs until the hearing and determination of their case.
Kanyi Daily recalls that Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili had strongly criticized the leadership of the Nigeria National Assembly.
