Members of the 10th national assembly have defended the need for the luxury vehicles that will be purchased for official use, despite the economic hardship that the removal of fuel subsidies has caused for millions of Nigerians.
It should be recalled that the leadership of the senate and the house of representatives approved spending N40 billion on 465 2023 model of Toyota Land Cruiser for senators and 2023 Toyota Prado Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for members in the green chamber just a few days after the 10th assembly’s inauguration.
Nigerians, however, in their views urged the national assembly to abandon the intended purchase in light of the current financial crisis.
Additionally, some unidentified lawmakers opposed the plan and urged the two chambers’ leadership to put an end to it.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, responded to the lawmakers’ spending spree by calling the plans irresponsible given the country’s fragile economy and the unprecedented hardship.
“This is simply ostentatious and absolutely irresponsible for the National Assembly to deploy such humongous fund to procure vehicles and they will probably be expending these huge cash to buy vehicles that are assembled outside of Nigeria thereby denying the competent Nigerian based vehicle’s manufacturing firms such as Innoson the benefit of generating revenues to continuously put Nigeria on the world’s map as a manufacturer of vehicles.
“To begin with, what happened to the exotic cars procured by the immediate past hierarchy of the National Assembly and why does it have to be new sets of highly exorbitant vehicles that have to be purchased every time there are new sets of legislators as if the National Assembly ought to have assets such as serviceable cars that successive heads and lawmakers should seamlessly inherit from their predecessors.
“This decision is without any economic sense, it is mindless misappropriation of public funds to power the ostentatious lifestyles of a few at heavy costs to the public treasury. This should be resisted by all Nigerians of good conscience,” Onwubiko said.
Weighing in on the matter, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) gave the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio seven-day deadline to renounce what it calls a scandalous plan to spend N40 billion on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and key officials, and N70 billion as a consolation prize for new members.
It urged them to repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act in order to reduce the National Assembly’s budget by N110 billion, reflect the nation’s current economic conditions, and address how the removal of fuel subsidies would affect the country’s more than 137 million underprivileged residents.
But the call was not adhered to following a statement on Sunday, by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, who confirmed that the management was in the process of procuring and distributing the vehicles to the members.
Defending the move by the lawmakers, Mr. Rotimi claimed that the adventure is not peculiar to the national assembly saying that unelected government officials in the executive arm of government from the assistant director level and above have official vehicles attached to their offices.
The house of representatives spokesperson clarified that the vehicles are not personal but they are for operational purposes for members to effectively discharge their duties in the standing committees.
He said, “The House of Representatives is monitoring a trending topic across multiple traditional and online media, concerning the distribution of vehicles to honourable members, and because this issue has understandably generated significant public interest, we believe Nigerians deserve feedback from their elected representatives.”
“While many versions of this story carry varying exaggerations, we can confirm that the National Assembly bureaucracy is in the phased process of procuring and distributing operational vehicles to honourable members over the coming weeks and months. This development is in accordance with extant procurement laws and has been the practice in previous assemblies.
“It is also not peculiar to the Legislature, as unelected government officials in the Executive arm of government from the Assistant Director level and above, in most cases, have official vehicles attached to their offices. It is important to make a few clarifications. The vehicles to be allocated to the offices of honourable members are utility operational vehicles tied to their oversight functions in the discharge of their duties in the standing committees.
“They are not personal vehicles gifted to honourable members. For the duration of the 10th assembly (2023 – 2027), the vehicles shall remain the property of the National Assembly. At the expiration of the tenure of the 10th Assembly in 2027, should the extant assets deboarding policy of government still be in place, honourable members may have the option of making payment for the outstanding value of the vehicles to government coffers before they can become theirs, otherwise it remains the property of the National Assembly.”
He noted that given the nature of the job of lawmakers which includes seeing for themselves the various interventions by the government at different locations in the country it is necessary to equip members with suitable vehicles to carry out their assignments.
He added that the vehicles are part of the work tools for the members and not necessarily to elevate their status in the society as envisaged by many.
His words: “The public is invited to note that as part of the 10th Assembly’s objective to ensure our integrity and independence, honourable members of the Green Chamber have resolved to maintain a respectable distance from the Executive arm of government, especially in issues relating to logistical aspects of oversight functions, including reaching difficult terrains in the country.
“No matter how remote the location is, as long as there are Nigerian citizens living there, they deserve highly mobile representatives who can see first-hand what they are going through, and ensure government interventions, programmes, and policies are carried out effectively.
“This can only be possible with functional and reliable off-road vehicles. Also, the House would like to inform the public that we remain committed to reducing the cost of governance in line with present realities.
“Those willing to research further would find a significant body of work with evidence that the percentage of the component of the Legislature’s budget as part of our national budget has been on a downward trend over the past decade, despite inflation and the expanding role and relevance of honourable members in the lives of citizens. It currently stands at 0.5% of the Federal budget.
“Accordingly, as all stakeholders continue to advance the conversation about reducing the cost of governance, we encourage looking in the right direction, and not cause disaffection for honourable members who want to discharge their duties effectively and above board, without being susceptible to inducement when the enablement to function is impaired.
“The vehicles are work tools, and not status symbols – Honourable Members are diligent and patriotic elected representatives and not entitled. The anticipated allocation of vehicles will contribute to improved representation, constituency outreach and oversight functions.”
