The Senate President, Bukola Saraki,
has taken delivery of new exotic cars
purchased by the National Assembly
management for his official use,
brushing aside widespread criticisms
against such lavish spending at a time
of national economic crisis.
It had exclusively
reported that the Nigerian legislative
body proposed to splash about N4.7
billion on at least 400 vehicles for
leaders and members of the Senate
and House of Representatives.
Among the proposed vehicles were 10
top-of-the-range cars for Mr. Saraki
and his official convoy.
Our market survey showed the
vehicles cost N329, 515,625 – more
than the budgetary allocations for
many government schools.
The report triggered a firestorm of
reaction from Nigerians, including
President Muhammadu Buhari and
former President Olusegun Obasanjo,
who urged the National Assembly to
shelve the plan.
Mr. Buhari said he had rejected a
proposal for new vehicles to be
purchased for him as part of 2016
budget expenditure.
“I turned down a N400 million bill for
cars for the presidency, because the
vehicles I am using are good enough
for the next 10 years,” the president
said during his first media chat.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also wrote
members of the National Assembly asking them to
jettison the plan to buy official vehicles.
“Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary
and insensitive,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “A pool of a
few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any
Committee Chairman or members for any specific
duty. The waste that has gone into cars, furniture,
housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling
and these were veritable sources of waste and
corruption. That was why they were abolished.
Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of
Nigeria and Nigerians.”
But Premium times can report today that the
National Assembly management ignored such
concerns and, finalised procurement processes for
the vehicles, and indeed took delivery of them for
Mr. Saraki.
At least four of the 10 vehicles meant for Mr. Saraki
have already been delivered by Lanre Shittu motors
and the lawmaker has since put them to use.
Officials briefed about the matter told this
newspaper that procurement process for the
purchase of vehicles for the senate president was
concluded since December.
However, like Mr. Saraki, the tenders board agreed
the purchases be made in batches due to paucity of
funds, our sources said.
Stressing what the Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi,
had earlier said, the source said procuring new
vehicles for Mr. Saraki became a “matter of
priority” because “the current cars are old and
already developing faults”.
PREMIUM TIMES obtained tender documents for the
10 cars Mr. Saraki requested.
In the document, the National Assembly sought to
purchase a 2016 model Mercedes Benz S550, four
2016 Toyota Prado jeeps, four 2016 Toyota Hilux SS
(Auto) as well as a 2016 model Toyota Hiace Bus.
PREMIUM TIMES’ independent market evaluation
showed the cars cost as follows: 1Nos.Mercedes Benz
S550 (N49, 020,625); 4nos. Toyota Prado (N149,
650,000); 4nos Toyota Hilux SS (N102, 407,500) and
1Nos. Toyota Hiace Bus (N28, 437,500).
At N250 to the dollar, PREMIUM TIMES estimated the
total cost of the purchase at N329, 515,625.
The four cars delivered yet, and confirmed by this
paper, are three Toyota Prado SUVs and one
Mercedes Benz S500.
[Pictures inset]
120 cars for Senators
PREMIUM TIMES also confirmed that the
procurement processes for the purchase of 120
Toyota Land Cruisers for the remaining 119
Senators were also concluded last December.
The tenders board also agreed to shelve the plan
temporarily due to “paucity of funds.”
A source said senators however continued to
pressure the Committee on Senate Services, which
in turn put pressure on the National Assembly
management to immediately conclude the
procurement.
An estimated N4.7billion would have been spent by
the time the acquisition of cars for Mr. Saraki and
his 108 colleagues are completed.
A cocktail of illegalities
As we reported in an earlier story, the acquisition
of cars for senators is a violation of the
monetisation policy of the federal government.
Under the policy, no new vehicles should be
purchased by any agency of government for use by
officials.
Rather, public officers and political office holders
are to receive 250 per cent of their annual basic
salary as motor vehicle loan, which translates to
N5.07 million for each senator.
Our sources at the National Assembly said the
Senators got these loans before also proceeding to
acquire these new Toyota Land Cruisers.
Also, the President of the Senate is said to have
inherited the vehicles used by his predecessor, and
Senate insiders say “he really does not need new
cars as the one he uses are in top condition”.
But even if he needs new cars, the number being
acquired for him is in excess of what the law
provides.
According to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation
and Fiscal Commission, the Senate President is
entitled to a maximum of six vehicles, and not 10 as
being bought for him.
He is entitled to two official cars, one pilot car, one
protocol/press car, one ambulance and one security
car.
Members of the two chambers of the national
assembly are renown for their taste for exotic
vehicles even after receiving monetary pay in lieu
of official vehicles based on the provisions of the
law.
The Senate had in the last legislative session bought
Toyota Prado Jeeps for each Senator at the cost of
over N1.3 billion, coming after both chambers had
also bought Toyota Camry, for Senators and Peugeot
vehicles for members of the House of
Representatives.
The allegedly shady deal involved in the purchase of
the Peugeot vehicles formed part of the charges
against then Speaker Dimeji Bankole when he was
taken to court after completing his term.
What N4.7billion can do
If deployed towards enhancing healthcare delivery,
N4.7 billion can be used in building 235 primary
health care centres across Nigeria (enough for at
least 6 health care centres in each state) at the cost
of N20 million each.
The money, N4.7 billion, can also provide over
470,000 children with insecticide-treated mosquito
nets at N10,000 each, saving them from the scourge
of malaria which today kills more than 300,000
Nigerian children under the age of five annually
and responsible for 11 per cent of maternal
mortality cases yearly, according to experts at the
Malaria Action Programme for States (MAPS).
Still on healthcare, over 10 million Nigerian kids
could get complete malaria treatment dosage, at
N460 if the N4.7 billion was directed to this life-
saving purpose.
If that money is spent on boosting yield of farm
produce, the amount can cover the cost of
procurement of about 626,667 bags of fertilizers for
Nigerian farmers at N7,500 each.
The money –N4.7 billion – can also offset a six-
month wage bill of 40,000 minimum wage workers
presently owed salary payment by some state
governments seeking bailout from the federal
government.
In order to provide conducive learning environment
in schools, 470,000 sets of school furniture,
comprising table and chair at N10,000 each, can be
procured at the cost of N4.7 billion. Yet kids sit on
bare floors to study in many schools across the
country while the parliamentarians gets N4.7 billion
to buy cars.
In the housing sector, at N7million per piece, the
country can provide 671 additional cheap housing
for citizens; and provide 51 thousand households
with potable water at N92,000 per household
connection.
Premium Times
0 comments:
Post a Comment