Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited will begin the delivery of 360 exotic cars to members of the House of Representatives from June,The PUNCH reports.
Findings showed that each of the 360 lawmakers would have added a Peugeot 508 Salon car to their garages in the next two months.
The official tag for the vehicles is ‘utility/committee’, an indication that the cars are being bought for oversight duties as against being personalised by lawmakers.
The Reps justified the purchase of the cars on the grounds that they were patronising an indigenous firm.
“The agreed price for each unit is N10m, which will leave the total cost for the 360 units at N3.6bn,” a senior official of the House informed The PUNCH in Abuja.
It was learnt that the payment of the N3.6bn would be spread across two years because the capital vote of the House in the 2016 budget was not enough to cover the cost of the cars.
For example, the total capital vote of the House in the budget is said to be N220m.
However, the Kaduna-based company would deliver all 360 units at once, under the “friendly” payment terms reached with the firm.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, admitted that arrangements to buy the cars had been concluded.
Namdas added, “Peugeot is a local vehicle assembly plant. By patronising them, it is the decision of the House that we will be generating employment and promoting made in Nigeria products. That is the difference.
“Each unit is N10m, which is, again, far cheaper compared to when we have to import the cars.
“We have resolved to buy the cars and in weeks from today, they will begin to arrive.”
Asked why members would buy exotic cars at a time Nigerians were protesting a similar action taken by the Senate, Namdas said the House must get over the car issue and move on.
“The question is whether members need these cars to perform their duties. Yes.
“There is never going to be a time when it will be right to buy the cars. We will buy and get over the issue once and for all,” he stated.
Findings showed that each of the 360 lawmakers would have added a Peugeot 508 Salon car to their garages in the next two months.
The official tag for the vehicles is ‘utility/committee’, an indication that the cars are being bought for oversight duties as against being personalised by lawmakers.
The Reps justified the purchase of the cars on the grounds that they were patronising an indigenous firm.
“The agreed price for each unit is N10m, which will leave the total cost for the 360 units at N3.6bn,” a senior official of the House informed The PUNCH in Abuja.
It was learnt that the payment of the N3.6bn would be spread across two years because the capital vote of the House in the 2016 budget was not enough to cover the cost of the cars.
For example, the total capital vote of the House in the budget is said to be N220m.
However, the Kaduna-based company would deliver all 360 units at once, under the “friendly” payment terms reached with the firm.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, admitted that arrangements to buy the cars had been concluded.
Namdas added, “Peugeot is a local vehicle assembly plant. By patronising them, it is the decision of the House that we will be generating employment and promoting made in Nigeria products. That is the difference.
“Each unit is N10m, which is, again, far cheaper compared to when we have to import the cars.
“We have resolved to buy the cars and in weeks from today, they will begin to arrive.”
Asked why members would buy exotic cars at a time Nigerians were protesting a similar action taken by the Senate, Namdas said the House must get over the car issue and move on.
“The question is whether members need these cars to perform their duties. Yes.
“There is never going to be a time when it will be right to buy the cars. We will buy and get over the issue once and for all,” he stated.