By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
The House of Representatives will spend some N46b for the procurement of PRADO Jeeps for its members.
Irohinoodua was informed that the money has been approved.
Each of the 360 members will receive a Prado Jeep worth 130m.
Our correspondent was informed that the Senate is already working on official cars for the 109 members.
Critics are raised concerns about the financial implications on the country’s trembling economy.
Only this week, inflation jumped to 29 percent as Nigeria’s debt climb the ladder to some N40 trillion.
In an attempt to defend the position of the National Assembly, the
House Spokesman
Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Akin Rotimi indirect confirmed the fears of many Nigerians that the lawmakers are insensitive to the plight of the suffering masses.
He said in a statement made available to Irohinoodua.
He said the House was monitoring a trending topic across multiple traditional and online media, concerning the allocation of vehicles to honourable members, and because this issue has understandably generated significant public interest.
He said the House believes 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.”
He said the purchase was 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 Director level and above, in most cases, have official vehicles attached to their offices.”
Rotimi said 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 said 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.
