SUVs: Senate gives reasons for purchase of N160 million vehicles

Following the public outcry over the plan by the Senate to purchase sports utility vehicles (SUVs) at the rate of N160 million for each federal lawmakers, the upper legislative chamber has explained reasons for the move.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, chairman of the committee on services, Sunday Karimi, said the lawmakers want vehicles that would last for the next four years.

Explaining further, Karimi said an analysis was done before the senate arrived at ordering Land Cruiser SUVs for the senators.

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“I said the decision that we took on using Land Cruiser is — you know they have exchanged the price analysis and other sections, including the cost and durability. Are you getting me?” he said.

“Before they came up with this, it is not the decisions of the senators alone, we did an analysis before arriving at Land Cruiser.

“If you go 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 uses, so why [not the] national assembly?

“The cost, let me tell you, hello, listen to me, you know I am the chairman service, 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.”