N160bn SUVs: Youths protest in Lagos, demand living wage, others

Some youths have gathered in Lagos to protest against the purchase of sports utility Vehicles for lawmakers at the National Assembly.

The youths who gathered in their numbers at the Ikeja area of Lagos on Monday held placards and chanted, ‘Fund education not SUVs, ‘Pay living wage, not SUVs, and ‘Fund 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, told The PUNCH that “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.”

He further said, “They’re the ones receiving hardship allowance. What hardship are they facing? What hard work are they doing?”

Sunday PUNCH reported that lawmakers in the Green Chamber had started taking delivery of their SUVs.

Similarly, legislators in the Red Chamber will receive the first batch of SUVs this week.

The move has generated criticism among Nigerians, with the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project asking a Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the lawmakers from taking delivery of the SUVs pending the hearing and determination of the applications for injunction filed by the organisation.