Senators, Reps Leave With 109 Jeeps, 360 Exotic Cars

Outgoing Senators and members of the House of Representatives will go home with the operational vehicles of the National Assembly currently in their possession as the 7th Assembly winds down on Friday.

Each of the 109 senators has a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Jeep assigned to them for “operational” duties including the committee activities and oversight functions.

The situation is the same at the House as each member has a 2011 Toyota Camry model attached to them for operational duties.

Apart from the operational vehicles, principal officers, including the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, have additional vehicles assigned to them.

But the Prado Jeeps and Camry are properties of the National Assembly that ought to have been left behind by the outgoing legislators.

The understanding of the management of the federal lawmakers, the vehicles have been valued, taking note of the years of depreciation, to allow lawmakers who wish to go home with them to do so by paying 30 per cent of the purchase price.

To this end, the money is to be deducted from the severance package of the senators and the House members.
But investigations showed that in line with the arrangement, the Prado jeeps, valued at the market price of about N9million, would be given away to senators at a reduced sum of N2.7million.

Regarding the members of the House, each of them will part with about N1.9million to go home with the Toyota Camry, valued at about N6.5million.

Confirming the deal an official of the National Assembly management, who sought anonymity over the “deal” said that “The cars have been used for four years, so this valuation has taken cognizance of the years of depreciation. The vehicles are not taken away free of charge. As a matter of fact, it is optional. A lawmaker who does not want to go with the vehicle will submit it to the National Assembly and it will be so documented.

“The deduction will be done from their severance package at source, which makes it easier. It is a practice that has been put in place over the years.”

It was also gathered that aside the operational vehicles, each of the senators, on resumption in 2011, was given 300 per cent of their total basic salaries as car loans and 300 per cent as housing allowance. About 250 per cent was advanced to them as furniture allowance.


Source: Leadership