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Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has defended the National Assembly’s N110 billion procurement of luxury SUVs for lawmakers, despite a Federal High Court ruling declaring the expenditure unlawful. He stated that the Toyota Land Cruisers (for senators) and Toyota Prado SUVs (for House members) are official assets for constituency operations, not personal property.
The court had ruled that the spending violated procurement laws, constitutional provisions, and public trust. Bamidele also called on the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to publish the remuneration of all public office holders.
Key Points:
The court’s ruling is being effectively ignored, undermining judicial authority and public trust.
Lawmakers continue to justify luxury spending while millions of Nigerians face economic hardship.
The cost of a single SUV (over N100m) far exceeds the vehicle loan limit prescribed by RMAFC (approx N8m for senators).
NASS argues the vehicles are for constituency work, but critics note similar vehicles are not provided to state legislators or local government officials.
Secret running costs (up to N21m per senator per month) remain undisclosed, fuelling public anger.
The court order for future compliance with due process remains in place, but without enforcement, NASS spending is unlikely to change.
Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust
