Disregard for Nigerians? Senators Are Buying New Exotic Cars

The Senate came under harsh criticisms by eminent Nigerians on Saturday for defying Nigerians, including the President, Muhammadu Buhari, on the purchase of new exotic vehicles.

Eminent Nigerians including Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Senator Femi Okurounmu and Dr. Junaid Mohammed, condemned the Senate for going ahead to purchase the vehicles.

The contractor in charge of delivering the vehicles, Lanre Shittu Motors, on Saturday confirmed that it had delivered "a lot of vehicles to the Senate."

According to Punch, the Senate had taken delivery of the exotic vehicles and that the deliveries were done from Lagos and Abuja.

The Group Executive Director, Lanre Shittu Motors, Mr. Taiwo Shittu, stated that a lot of deliveries had been made to the Senate.

We have delivered a lot of vehicles to Senate — Lanre Shittu Motors
When asked to confirm if the Senate had taken delivery of the vehicles from his company, Shittu replied, “Yes, they’ve taken a lot of deliveries but the deliveries are handled from the head office. I’m in charge of commercials like trucks, equipment and buses for the company, but not deliveries that have to do with the cars.

“They are not taking delivery of commercial vehicles but they are taking passenger vehicles, although Toyota Hilux can be seen as a commercial vehicle. I can confirm to you that the Senate has taken delivery of some vehicles but I can’t give you the accurate number presently.”

Many respected Nigerians, including Buhari and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had a few months ago urged the National Assembly to shelve the plan to buy such expensive exotic vehicles.

While advising the Senate, Buhari in his first media chat had said, “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.”

Anger over purchase
In his reaction, prominent Yoruba leader, Okurounmu, described the purchase of the cars as disgraceful.

Okurounmu, who represented Ogun-Central senatorial district between 1999 and 2003, said the purchase of vehicles at a time when over 20 states could not pay salaries is CALLOUS.

He said, “If this is true, the action of the Senate is completely unpatriotic, callous and shows that they don’t care about the welfare of the Nigerians that they are supposed to be representing and they are only there to look after their own interests. They are selfish."

Sagay described the senators as a group of “shameless people” who are unfit to occupy public office.

He said their profligate lifestyle is capable of causing Nigerians to revolt against the government.

He said, “It shows that we are dealing with a group of people that are totally incorrigible in their love for material things at the expense of Nigerians. They have no limit and have no sense of shame or restraint. They will go all out and continue to live in luxury and obscenity until they can ground Nigeria

“These people are unfit to hold public office. They are a disgrace to this country and somehow, if it was possible, I would want them to be shamed out of the National Assembly. They are unfit for that position and a disgrace to any civilised community.”

Lending his voice to the controversial acquisition of vehicles, a former Governor of Kaduna, Balarabe Musa, asked where the Senate got money to buy the cars since the 2016 budget has not been passed.

Describing the incident as ‘mindlessness’, he said the matter must be investigated by relevant authorities.

He said, “Who authorised the purchase of the vehicles? The budget has not yet been approved so where did they get the money to buy the vehicles?

“Besides the mindlessness of such act in the face of the economic crisis, why should lawmakers use their position to enrich themselves? Has the National Assembly allowed itself to be involved in illegality?”