CNPP queries N1.4bn vehicle purchase to Niger while ASUU is on strike

By Christiana Ekpa

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has said it was stunned by the confirmation by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the sum of N1,145,000,000.00 for the purchase of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps for Niger Republic at a time Nigerian students were on strike over inability of the Federal Government to meet the financial demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The minister had at the end of the Federal Executive Council Meeting confirmed that President Buhari approved the purchase, arguing that Nigeria has a policy of assisting its neighbours to strengthen its capacity to deal with insecurity.

However, the CNPP in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, queried the intentions, asking, “how can Nigeria be fighting insecurity in another country while we are breeding insecurity at home by keeping energetic young Nigerians hopeless and idle for over five months due to ASUU strike?”

Describing the purchase of 10 vehicles for Niger Republic as a gesture that “amounts to unclothing Peter to clothe Paul”, the CNPP insisted that “the action is most insensitive to the continued suffering of Nigerian citizens who have not been able to have three square meals on the table in the last seven years of President Buhari administration.”

The CNPP then urged “the National Assembly to waste no time in impeaching the President for funding a foreign country under the guise of improvements in her security logistics but failed to tackle insecurity at home, seeing that the vehicles in question were not security patrol vans but executive SUV jeeps.

“The six weeks ultimatum issued to Mr. President to tackle internal security should be cut short immediately as the Senate must now reconvene as a matter of urgency to commence the impeachment proceedings without further delay”,the CNPP demanded.

The statement noted that “When a social media influencer, David Hundeyin, released a document claiming that the approval was made, most right thinking Nigerians dismissed it as social media rumour until the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, confirmed the purchase.

“Arguing that the President, who approved the purchase also has the right to make his own assessment on situations and act accordingly is the most shameful part of the justification of the misplaced priority.