Amidst criticisms, Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi has justified purchase of Toyota Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) (2023model) for N160 million for 107 Senators, calling on Nigerians to also beam their searchlight on the executive arm of government.
Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and his Deputy, Barau Jibrin will also take two bulletproof cars for N320 million each procured by the leadership of the Senate in collaboration with the management of the National Assembly.
Investigation revealed that federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives, will also receive Toyota Land Cruiser, (2023 model) at a market price between N135-N140million.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Senator Karim who incidentally is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Services said the leadership of the National Assembly decided after due diligence on cost analysis and durability of the vehicles.
Expressing strong reservations about the public outcry trailing the purchase, he said: “Somebody that is a Minister has more than three land cruisers, Prado, and other vehicles and you are not asking them questions, why us?
“These vehicles that you see, go to Nigeria roads today, If I go home once, to my senatorial district, I come back spending a lot on my vehicles because our roads are bad.
“I said the decision that we took on using land cruiser is based on due diligence. Our procurement department did a comparative cost analysis before arriving at the decision. We also look at durability of the vehicles.
“It is not the decisions of the senators alone, we did an analysis before arriving at land cruiser.
“We want something that we can maintain for another four years and the issue of buying vehicles from national assembly, you know it is a recurring issue, it occurs every assembly, it will always come up.
“If you got to state houses of assembly today, check out, most of them before they were even inaugurated, the governor would have bought vehicles waiting for them even local government chairmen. I drove the vehicle my local government chairman used, so why National Assembly? “
He also explained why the price of the vehicles was a bit higher than the market price.
“The cost, let me tell you, you know I am the chairman of the Senate Services Committee, when I came into the Senate, when they gave me their liability, they have a liability of over N16 billion that is made up of different things, including vehicles of 7th assembly 8th and 9th assembly.
*If you are a businessman and you supplied vehicles for somebody in 2014 or 2015 or so and up till now they are owing you. I am not trying to defend anybody, if LandCruiser is in the market let’s say it is “A” cost, you don’t expect somebody that will supply it to supply it at the price they are selling it in the market.
“He has to leave a margin and the civil service for supply allowed for 25% margin plus that and VAT and I think that VAT is 7.5. Out of that 25% margin they will still remove 5% tax from it.
“You are telling someone to supply and he may even not end up making payment for three years and you want him to supply at the price they are selling in the market, it is not possible.”
