A former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and member of the 2014 national conference, Anthony Sani has faulted the procurement of SUVs for the federal lawmakers in the country.
Sani argued that purchasing such luxury vehicles when the economy was crippled is against the monetization policy of the government.
The ex-ACF Scribe shared his reservation during an interview with The Sun.
He noted that lawmakers are supposed to use vehicles in the common pool when travelling for official duties.
Sani lamented that legislators should not be living standards of life that are far too above the common man.
He insisted that it is behaviours such as these that make people believe Nigeria’s public officers are the highest paid in the world.
According to him, “Apart from the weak economy which should not be burdened unduly, purchase of such vehicles is against the monetization policies of the government. Transportation for the lawmakers is supposed to be monetized for each and every lawmaker. Lawmakers are supposed to use vehicles in the common pool whenever they want to travel for official duties.
Lawmakers are not expected to live standards of life that are too far over and above those of the citizens they represent. It is this type of behaviour by our leaders which is responsible for the impression that Nigeria’s public officers are the highest paid in the world despite the low economic profile.
In Nigeria, it is said no group of Nigerians are more cosseted from the hostile economic environment, more protected for its inactions and more compensated for its inadequacies, like public officers. So for me, if Nigerians are to help revamp the economy through sacrifices, then the leaders must lead by example.“
