The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to halt the proposed expenditure of over 110 billion naira on bulletproof cars and other items for select members of the 10th National Assembly.
SERAP also demanded that the two principal officers of the National Assembly abandon their plan to spend 40 billion naira on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, as well as 70 billion naira as ‘palliatives’ for new members.
SERAP’s call comes in response to media reports that while 70 billion naira is budgeted as a ‘support allowance’ for 306 new lawmakers, only 500 billion naira worth of palliatives is allocated for 12 million poor Nigerians.
In a letter signed by Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization argued that the National Assembly