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A Civil Society Organization, CSO, One Love Foundation, OLF, Sunday, charged Labour Party, LP, Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, not to put Nigerians to shame.
Speaking on the issues surrounding the alleged N70 billion for working condition of NASS members, N110 billion on bulletproof cars for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, N8,000 palliative stipend for Poor Nigerians, and incessant hikes of pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, current nosedive of the Naira, and increased criminality, the Founder and President, OLF, and chieftain of the Labour Party, Chief Patrick Eholor, told newsmen in a chat that LP parliamentarians are expected to be a force to be reckoned with in terms of defending the masses on critical issues that negatively and adversely affect their well-being and welfare.
Eholor said: “Labour Party parliamentarians are eight as against 57 of the All Progressives Congress,APC, and what is expected of them is that they should be more people centred on anything they are doing there.
“The reason is because it was the people that voted them in there against all odds, so they cannot afford to peddle with the people.
“The trust and believe in them by the people for them is high, essence the mandate given to LP candidates during the 2023 general elections. The people are closely watching them, and we don’t want them to be rubber-stamps in the National Assembly including State Houses of Assemblies.
“They need to prove that despite their little number, which can also change the narrative of Nigerians should be used properly to get what they want and not always the majority getting what they want, and also they are to be a force to be reckoned with at the 10th National Assembly.
“There are issues right now at the National Assembly, and the monies called for bulletproof cars for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, which runs into N110 billion, the N70 billion for working condition of NASS members, the N8,000 palliative stipend for Poor Nigerians, biting hardship, and other critical issues are all there at the National Assembly, and this is the time we want LP parliamentarians to prove they are not push overs but are the voices of the people.”
However, he said there is nothing yet to prove that LP parliamentarians are being compromised.
“Well, I’m yet to confirm in full if those LP NASS members have been compromised or they are still there to represent the people who voted them in.
“No I don’t see them as disappointment because they are yet to do anything to warrant such names, the Labour Party members are just the minority in there and we live in a country whereby the voice of the minority hardly supercedes that of the majority, especially in politics”, he added.
Meanwhile, on his expectations from LP Members of the National Assembly, he said they are to be strong opposition to the majority.
“My expectations from them are not far fetched, I am expecting them to be a strong opposition to whatever bill that is not for the common man.
“I am expecting them to be closer to the people so they will know what the people want and they can decide on what constituency project they want to embark on.
“My counsel to them is for them to be people’s oriented, they should not forget that during the election, APC, PDP shared money yet the people ignored the money and voted for Labour Party.
“They should not forget that people died and some got injured but still Nigerians voted them there for effective change.”