On Wednesday, members of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic lamented the fact that they have been neglected by different governments following their removal when the military junta came into power, News About Nigeria reports.
The lawmakers further appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to allow “heroes of democracy in the country to die in penury.”
The appeal to the president was made in a statement signed by their spokesperson, John Fasogbon.
In the statement, the lawmakers noted that they should not be relegated because the mother of the present democratic dispensation in Nigeria is the Third Republic, which was led by the late MKO Abiola.
They further lamented that it is a different story for them, as the actors in the struggle for the full-fledged democracy that is currently enjoyed in the country are wallowing in abject poverty.
The statement partly reads, “We, members of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic, contested and won our elections, which were adjudged as the most free and fair in the history of the country. Unfortunately, after we were sworn in, we were sacked by the military junta without any benefits. Today, June 12, is being celebrated with the heroes of democracy dying in anguish and penury.
“Many of us have died without any benefits, while those of us alive are living in poverty. In the spirit of national reconciliation, we appeal to the president to assist us in the payment of our entitlements between 1992-1993, when we are at the Federal House of Representatives,” they added.
