Why We Purchased Luxury Vehicles Amidst Economic Hardship – Senate Gives Justification

Why We Purchased Luxury Vehicles Amidst Economic Hardship – Senate Gives Justification

On Tuesday, the Senate defended its decision to proceed with the acquisition of luxury vehicles for lawmakers, despite the challenging economic circumstances faced by Nigerians.

Sunday Karimi, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, informed journalists in Abuja that the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly made this choice to ensure that the vehicles provided are not only robust enough for Nigerian roads but can also be sustained over a four-year period.

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“It was based on a comparative analysis of the cost of technical issues and durability on Nigeria roads… We want something that we can maintain for another four years.

“And the issue of buying vehicles for the National Assembly, you know it is a recurring issue, it occurs every assembly, it will always come up,” Mr Karimi said.

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The intention of the federal legislature to procure vehicles for its members has sparked widespread public outcry, given the precarious state of the nation’s economy.

The National Assembly encompasses a total of 469 members, with 109 serving in the Senate and 360 in the House of Representatives.

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As reported by PREMIUM TIMES, the lawmakers opted for high-end luxury Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) instead of more economical Sedan and Salon cars.

This decision to forego the more affordable vehicles for their official duties represents a contravention of the revenue package established for them and other public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Mr Karimi, the senator representing Kogi West, said there are records that some state governors also purchase luxury utility vehicles for members of state houses of assembly and local government chairmen as their official cars.

“If you go to state houses of assembly today, check out most of them. Before they were even inaugurated, the governor would have bought vehicles waiting for them, even local government chairmen,” the senator said.

Mr Karimi said the chairman of his local government in Kogi State is driving the same model of the vehicle he is using as a senator.

“I drove the vehicle my local government chairman uses, so why the National Assembly?” Mr Karimi asked.

He was, however, silent on the brand of vehicle he and chairman of his local government use.

The Kogi senator stressed that bad roads in his constituency usually damage his vehicle whenever he goes home.

“Somebody that is a minister has more than three land cruisers, prado and other vehicles and you are not asking them questions. Why us?

“And these vehicles that you see, go to Nigeria roads today, If I go home once, my senatorial district, I come back spending a lot on my vehicles because our roads are bad. Am I talking to somebody?”

Mr Karimi also disclosed that the National Assembly has a liability of over N16 billion.

He said the liability extended from the 7th, 8th and 9th assembly.

“The cost, let me tell you, hello, listen to me, you know I am the chairman service. When I came into the Senate, when they gave me their liability, they have a liability of over N16 billion that is made up of different this thing including vehicles of 7th assembly 8th and 9th assembly.

“If you are a businessman and you supply vehicles for somebody in 2014 or 2015 or so and up till now they are owing you…. I am not trying to defend anybody, if you see them selling…. If a land cruiser in the market lets say it is A cost, you don’t expect somebody that will supply it to supply it at the price they are selling it in the market. It has to leave a margin and the civil service for supply they allowed for 25 per cent margin plus that and VAT and I think that VAT is 7.5. Out of that 25 per cent margin they will still remove 5 per cent tax from it.

“You are telling someone to supply and he may even not end up making payment for three years and you want him to supply at the price they are selling in the market, it is not possible,” the senator said.

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