Senate to spend over N1.7b on vehicles

The Senate has reportedly ordered for 109 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for its members at the rate of N16m each, totalling over N1.7b.

A source who spoke to Punch Newspapers said the Senators will get the SUVs in the first quarter of 2016, adding that the vehicles will be given to the Senators at the end of their four year tenure, after paying 30% of the cost.

The source also said "The jeeps are not official vehicles because the senators, in line with the Federal Government policy on monetisation, would be paid money for vehicles, accommodation and other things, so they are not entitled to official vehicles and accommodation.

“They, however, needed operational vehicles to carry out their oversight functions. Each of the 109 senators is either a chairman or vice-chairman of the senate committees, hence all of them would have a jeep each.”

Punch also reports that a Senator from the South-West region who spoke under anonymity said some committee chairmen preferred a more superior brand of SUV to the ones already ordered.

Adding that “The leadership told them that since the vehicles had been ordered, it was impossible to reverse the orders. Besides, the National Assembly management will not hand over documents of the vehicles until after the 30 percent cost had been paid, after the end of their tenure.”

This is coming at a time when most state governments are planning to cut staff salaries and lay-off workers, due to unavailability of funds.

The Senate is referred to as the upper house of the Nigerian National Assembly, and it is headed by Senator Bukola Saraki.

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