The determination of the Senate to forge ahead with the purchase
of foreign branded exotic vehicles at the cost of N4.7 billion was, yesterday,
being flayed by a cross section of Nigerians who levelled allegations ranging
from irresponsibility to hypocrisy on the lawmakers.
In furtherance of their goal, two of the exotic cars, the first of 120 budgeted
at N4.7 billion, were received by the Senate despite assertions that the
transaction violated the provisions of the monetisation scheme in which
vehicles were provided as car loan advances to the lawmakers last August.
The
desperation of the lawmakers to forge ahead with the transaction in the face of
dwindling foreign reserves that has led to the depreciation of the naira in the
parallel market has also shocked many Nigerians. One of the Senate’s known
faces, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, had recently purchased two Nigerian branded
vehicles made by Innoson Motors with a promise to purchase the armour plated
cars being rolled out from the company’s Nnewi, Anambra State manufacturing
plant. Besides the huge amount of foreign exchange that will flow out of the
country through the purchase handled by Lanre Shittu Motors Limited, the
transaction, if locally sourced, was believed could have helped sustain a
number of jobs in Nigeria.
