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Senate admits plan to purchase N4.7b worth of vehicles

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh Abuja
14 December 2015   |   5:23 am
The Senate yesterday admitted that it had concluded plans to procure vehicles worth N4.7 billion.
The Senate

The Senate

The Senate yesterday admitted that it had concluded plans to procure vehicles worth N4.7 billion.

The statement, which was signed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliu Saabi Abdullahi and released by the office of the Senate President, explained that the vehicles were project vehicles for the operation of its 65 committees.

Curiously, the vehicles would go round all 109 Senators because they would be shared to all chairmen and vice chairmen of committees.
At the moment, every Senator is either a chairman or vice chairman of a committee.

The Senate’s statement was in response to an online report that it was buying 120 units of Toyota Land Cruiser 2016 model.

Other details of the vehicles according to the report included the fact that “they must be ‘American Brand, V8, VXR, 5.7, Auto Engine With Intelligence, which would come with integrated navigator cruise control, QI-Compatible wireless charging and Kinetic dynamic suspension system, as well as being “full option.”
But tagged “Project Vehicles are for Committee Work.”
The Senate said the decision to buy the vehicles was informed by the fact that the old ones were no longer good.

It stated that the project vehicles that are to be purchased are meant for the execution of committee assignments.

The Senate said the automobiles were part of the necessities which the institution usually provide to committees to enable them function without depending on external bodies for effective performance of oversight functions.
“The vehicles are not meant for individual Senators. They are purchased for the use of the committees.

“For those who may want to find out what happened to the ones bought in the past, we cannot expect that after four years, the vehicles will still be in the condition to effectively serve the present committees. The best practice in government institutions and even private organizations is for official vehicles allocated to top officials after four years of use to be sold at the depreciated value,” Abdullahi stated.

The statement reads further: “We have been very frugal, responsive and responsible in our spending. We have also cut down on several expenses. However, there are certain expenses and purchases that are normal in government and any organisation generally. The legislature is not an exception.

“With respect to the official vehicles of the Senate President, it should be noted that majority of the vehicles in his convoy are his personal vehicles while some of the vehicles that he inherited, including his official vehicles and the back up car, are so old that they are already developing faults and not fit for long journey. We can recall that on several occasions, his official car broke down. Three instances will suffice here. I remember on a visit to Nasarawa State for a wedding of the daughter of a colleague. Other occasions were at the National Mosque three weeks ago and at the Abuja airport.

“The implication is that the vehicles in his official convoy are so old that they are already causing embarrassment for the Senate.

The media should know that a man of his antecedent would not at this point be excited with purchase of new cars. His official cars are really long overdue for replacement.

“The media should avoid deliberately portraying the legislature as irresponsible and inciting the people against it. We seek the understanding of the media to explain issues and situations to the people. Both the media and the legislature have different roles to play in sustaining our democracy and none should be seen to be undermining the other,” Aliyu stated.

9 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is wanton profligacy at its best. A vehicle that is 4years old is still relatively new and should not be developing faults as stated in the report, particularly if it has a proper service history; which I expect the vehicles attached to the office of the Senate President to have .
    Also the President made use of his predecessor’s official vehicles; this should also apply to the Senate President. Our undistinguished senators should have a conscience; such profligacy when workers are being laid off and some are being owed for months is mindless and heartless. This is shameful; in saner climes,they would be in jail by now. They should desist from this kind of unpatriotic acts.God bless Nigeria

    • Author’s gravatar

      I agreed with you my Brother, I just want to add that going for a colleague wedding or national mosque is on official. All this reckless spending has to stop. Saraki has to go if this government must work.

      • Author’s gravatar

        65 senate committees and equally as much house committees to oversight 25 ministries !! nigeria does not need to be told where to begin to plug and checkmate its financial drain pipes or anticipate where the next explosion of corrupt practices will emanate from…Its time to think the unthinkable, its time to legislate on the legislators presently behaving like adolescents on wild holidays with no care in the world and no thoughts nor articulate plans whatsoever on the fate of a parlous economy

  • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    Everyone knows what is good for him self, the so called senators who could not approve 5000 naira Nigerian youth, quickly sign the purchase of new cars and after four years the next will use over 10 b naira to purchase another, and we cry the economy is bad see what you are doing with out money you complain of thife, what really you, THERE IS GOD O. before you came into power you were for the people now you in power? THERE IS GOD……….

  • Author’s gravatar

    I know, i know ,this senate of an hundred committees virtually, can dare the financially impossible and seek the recreationally preposterous even if it means buying 65 rockets to ferry them cluelessly on idle oversight trips across the nation or puerile holidays to the moon

  • Author’s gravatar

    Legal Stealing again

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is a product of Jonathan’s 2015 wasteful budget, Buhari has no power to stop. I hope these extravagant Senators will fall in line with current realities where some shameless State governors are telling Nigerians that they can not pay N18,000/mth minimum wage.

  • Author’s gravatar

    You are not responsible senators. You sell the old ones or make some repairs. Moreso, lease the cars made and assembled in Nigeria. Show example that you can use Nigerian cars and others would follow. Mumu senators. Think how to save money. Suegbe awon ode. Saraki is this your way of doing thing to help the government?. Remember oil price is below $36