The House of Representatives has urged Nigerians to hold National Assembly members accountable for the purchase of official vehicles, following severe criticism over plans to buy N160m SUVs for each of the 469 lawmakers.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the House’s spokesman, Akin Rotimi, emphasized the need for transparency.
He urged citizens to question the National Assembly about the procurement and use of vehicles, stating that the conversation should not be delayed until the end of each tenure.
Rotimi defended the necessity of the vehicles, emphasizing their role as essential work tools for lawmakers.
“If you look at it very well, I stated very clearly that these are work tools that are provided for lawmakers to be able to function,” the lawmaker maintained.
He wondered why Nigerians have to wait every four years to ask questions about the purchase and usage of vehicles for National Assembly members.
“These conversations about the National Assembly procuring vehicles are discussions from the preceding year before the resumption of a new assembly,” he said.
Rotimi acknowledged the existing policy for deboarding of vehicles, stressing the importance of addressing these issues before the new assembly commences.
In conclusion, he expressed his concern about the delayed nature of these conversations and urged proactive engagement to ensure transparency in the National Assembly’s vehicle procurement processes.