160 House of Rep members refuse to accept official cars

-Rep members say there is no need for the car as they have used up more than half of their tenure.

160 Rep members reject official cars

No fewer than 160 members of the House of Representatives have refused the offer of being provided with official cars.

Reports indicate that the legislators are requesting for the monetary equivalence of the cars.

About N6.1 billion is being used for the procurement of 360 units Peugeot 508 for members, at a unit price of N17 million, for the lawmakers.

The disbursement has been coming slowly

Since December 2015, when the plans to procure the vehicles for the Green Chamber members, the procurement has been slow as only about 200 units had been got and distributed to members, as at August 2017.

However, members yet to receive their vehicles are now demanding that the House leadership gives them the monetary equivalence of the cars, Daily Sun reported.

Reason for the monetisation request is due to the cash crunch that the federal legislature is faced with.

A source speaking with Daily Sun said, “some of the legislators believe there is no need for the cars as they have spent more than half of their tenure.”

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Validating the development, a Rep member requesting anonymity said “majority of those yet to get their official cars prefer to be given cash, in lieu of the cars”, adding that the demand for the monetary value of the cars is because “they don’t like Peugeot 508, and not for any other reason.”

The legislator also stated that from the beginning of the procurement plans, some members of the House expressed their disapproval of the choice of car. He however added that he had received his vehicle.

The lawmaker said, “Some of them wanted Camry. Some wanted Prado. If they cannot buy them what they want, what is wrong in giving them money to buy. The most important thing is for them to buy.

“State assembly members are using Prado. Councillors are using Camry. What is the big deal about Peugeot 508? What is Peugeot 508?

“It is an embarrasment for anyone to want to make an issue out of this. Don’t you see the convoy of ministers when they come to the National Assembly?

“If you go to the (Presidential) Villa, they ride Mercedez Benz. There are three tiers of government. They should not be treating us as if we are not part of this government,” the lawmaker stated.

When asked for his reaction to the development, the Chairman of the House Services Committee, Nasiru Baballe Ila, whose committee oversees the procurement of the cars, disclosed in a text message to Daily thus; “get in touch with (Abdulrasaq) Namdas,  he is the spokesman of the House.”

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Committee on Media, Abdulrasaq Namdas was thwarted as his mobile number was switched off, as at Sunday night.