I drive a car from 1986; Senator Kingibe wants government officials to drive cars made in their own country.

Senator Ireti Kingibe argued last night that government officials should be required to use only vehicles assembled in Nigeria in response to the outcry over the high cost of governance as Nigerians struggle with economic hardships.

Speaking on behalf of the FCT, the senator argued that “we cannot continue like this” on Channels Television.

If she were in charge, Kingibe said she would require all government vehicles to have been assembled in Nigeria. That would significantly boost Nigeria’s productivity.

So, “for one thing, Innoson, perhaps Volkswagen and Peugeot, and maybe even Toyota might decide that it’s worth their while to set up an assembly plant here.”

The opposition lawmaker brought up the point that canned tomatoes and other products shouldn’t be allowed into the country.

She acknowledged that people would experience “a short period of some kind of inconvenience,” but she defended the move by saying it would help the economy by making the dollar more expensive relative to the naira.

Kingibe also responded to the recent backlash against her and other Labour Party members for their silence during the screening of ministerial nominees.

When the Labour senators are mentioned, only eight of us actually exist. “And in a democracy, the minority will have their say, and in the end, the majority will have their way,” she said.

We’re new to the Senate, so we’ll only make the changes we can. We’re still getting our bearings and learning the lay of the land. Therefore, they must allow us some time to demonstrate our worth.