‘Why We Bought N3.6bn Exotic Cars During This Bad Recession’- House Of Reps Reveals

The House of Representatives on Thursday shielded its choice to purchase outlandish autos for its 360 individuals at a period the nation's economy is in subsidence. 

It said legislators must have a method for portability while completing oversight obligations over Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government. 

The House will spend at any rate N3.6bn crosswise over 24 months to finish installment for the extravagance vehicles provided by the Kaduna-based Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited. 

The PUNCH had reported only on Monday that the firm had as of now conveyed 28 units of Peugeot 508 arrangement to individuals in the main bunch of 50 autos. 

A sum of 360 units of the colorful car would have been conveyed by January 2017. 

The Deputy Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Jonathan Gaza, while guarding the acquirement of the autos on Thursday, said that retreat would not prevent administrators from playing out their authoritative obligations. 

He contended that in a subsidence, both the official and administrative arms of government were required to work significantly harder to discover earnest answers for difficulties confronting the nation. 

Gaza noticed that while working amid subsidence, individuals were not anticipated that would trek to the premises of the MDAs for oversight obligations.

He added,

“In a recession, we will all put on our thinking caps. We are working; these are committees’ cars and they are not the personal property of members.“When you came here today, how did you come? Did you walk down to this place (National Assembly) from your house?“If a member is going to visit an agency, will he trek there?“We need materials, computers, stationery, cars; these are all for work.”

Requested that remark on whether the National Assembly would endorse Buhari's offered to take an advance of $29.96bn, Gaza answered that exchanges were continuous between the two sides. 
The administrator said no conclusions had been come to. 
He likewise declined to talk completely on whether the legislature had started making discharges for the supporters tasks of administrators. 
The voting public ventures of legislators and individuals are worth N100bn in the 2016 spending plan of N6.06tn. 
The refusal of the legislature to finance the ventures is accounted for to be one of the sore focuses in the relationship amongst Buhari and the National Assembly. 
Yet, when asked an immediate question on the issue, Gaza parried it.

“We don’t release money for constituency projects. Our work is to pass the budget and we passed the 2016 budget. It is the responsibility of the executive to release funds for projects.“Also, the money is not paid into our pockets, we don’t touch it,” he replied.