The Chairman, Senate Committee on Services, Sunday Karimi has urged Nigerians to excuse Senators of public criticisms on the 2023 model of Toyota Landcruiser and Toyota Prado being procured for 469 members of the National Assembly.
He stated this at a press conference with members of the Senate Press Corps on Tuesday in Abuja, saying there was nothing wrong in the purchase of vehicles, considering that Nigerian roads are bad.
He wondered how lawmakers have become the subject of criticism when ministers who were confirmed by them purchase highly expensive and latest vehicles for their fleet.
Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial district said, “A minister has more than three land cruisers, prado and other vehicles and you are not asking them questions, why us?
“The issue of buying vehicles for National Assembly members, you know it is a recurring issue. It occurs every Assembly, it will always come up.
“If you go to state houses of assembly today, check most of them, before they were even inaugurated, the governor would have bought vehicles for them, even local government chairmen. I drove the vehicle my local government chairman uses. So, why the National Assembly?
“These vehicles that you see, go to Nigerian 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.”
Recalled that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the National Assembly from procuring and taking delivery of exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials pending the hearing and determination of the application filed by the organization.