Outcry over N330m cars: Why I had to buy them –Saraki

Against the outcry that greeted its intention to procure new exotic vehicles for lawmakers in the face of the nation’s dwindling economy, the office of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki has said that the vehicles had to be procured because the former one was malfunctioning.

But the Senate leadership may have stirred another controversy, after it went ahead to purchase the new exotic vehicles worth about N330 million for official use by Saraki against popular outcry.

It would be recalled that Nigerians had criticised the upper chamber of the National Assembly, after it came to light that it wanted to buy luxury vehicles worth N4.7 billion under the guise of using them for committee assignments and changing the fleet in the convoy of the Senate President.

President Muhammadu also frowned at the move, promising to take up the leadership of the Senate over the issue. Aside President Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo also took up the proposed purchase in a letter he wrote to the leadership of the National Assembly, accusing them of engaging in wasteful spending.

However, reports have it that the Senate has taken delivery of a 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 and three 2016 model of Toyota Prado SUVs for the Senate President.

Read also: CCT Trial: Forget it, I won’t resign, Saraki says
Confirming the delivery, Mr. Lanre Shittu, the contractor who supplied the vehicles said in an interview that his company, Lanre Shittu Motors has delivered “a lot of vehicles to the Senate”.

“Yes, they’ve taken a lot of deliveries but the deliveries are handled from the head office. I’m in charge of commercials like trucks, equipment and buses for the company, but not deliveries that have to do with the cars.”

However, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said in a statement on Saturday that only one new vehicle had been changed in the convoy of his principal, Bukola Saraki, explaining that the new vehicle, a Mercedes Benz, was meant to replace the old spare car in the convoy that he inherited and had been using since he assumed office in June 2015.

He said, “It is an obvious fact that the official and spare cars that the Senate President inherited and has been using are old and have been malfunctioning.
“It is for this reason that the Senate President approved that instead of providing two vehicles for him as he is entitled, only one should be bought to replace the official vehicle while the old official car should be converted to spare car.

“Also, if the National Assembly Management chose to provide operational vehicles for security agencies, should that be presented as if they are personal or official vehicles meant for the use of Dr. Saraki?

“These are vehicles that cannot be used for other purposes and by other people. The Senate President also has no control over the security vehicles”, Olaniyonu said.
Speaking on the purchase of the vehicles, a member of the Senate Committee on House Services, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, said he was not aware of the procurement and distribution of the exotic cars.

He said, “As a member of the Senate Committee on House Services which is in charge of the process of taking delivery and distribution of such vehicles, I can confirm that there is nothing like that.”

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