N4.7bn cars for NASS: Saraki replies Buhari

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has stated that he is unaware of any plans by the National Assembly to spend about N47 billion for the purchase of cars for members of the legislative arm of government.

President Muhammadu Buhari during his media chat on Wednesday had made reference to reports, that the Senate was planning to spend the said money on cars, and that he won’t allow it.

But Saraki in a tweet Thursday, said “not in my lifetime will senate spend 47b on cars”.

He alluded that the Senate would subject Buhari’s budget to public debate and scrutiny.

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Meanwhile, also speaking on the issue, Senate spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi in a statement Thursday also described as untrue the claim that it planned to purchase cars that will be worth N50bn as claimed by President Buhari.

Abdullahi said while the Senate is contemplating purchasing cars, it does not intend to spend anything close to the various figures of N4.5bn, N6bn or N50bn as being bandied around.

He added that shortly after getting the management team and the Senate services committee to commence the due process for the purchase, certain contractors who bid for the supply of the vehicles but felt their bid would not scale through began sponsoring media propaganda against the project, and even leaked the recommendations of the body working on the proposed project.

“Since the claim in an online medium that we are planning to purchase vehicles, we have not taken any further action on the issue. We are surprised that a proposed purchase became a subject of controversy and several figures that are far from our projections have been bandied around”, he said.

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