“However, It was gathered that all the lawmakers and some senior government officials in the National Assembly will spend not less than N50 million for cars."
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has described the move by Nigeria's federal lawmakers to spend N5.5 billion on luxury cars as "unjust and unfair to Nigerians".
CACOL in a statement stated, “Spending a huge sum of N5.550 billion to buy luxury cars for principal members of the ninth Senate is unjust and unfair, it negates the constitutional oath of office made by members to perform their functions in the interest of the well-being and prosperity of Nigeria and its citizens, as contained in the Seventh Schedule of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
“However, It was gathered that all the lawmakers and some senior government officials in the National Assembly will spend not less than N50 million for cars."
CACOL added: “In a country that has various economic challenges, the oversight function of the lawmakers shouldn’t be based on purchasing luxury cars, where other things are lying down, such amount of money can help in fixing the health and the education sectors in the country.”
The anti-corruption group urged Nigerians to continue to denounce the move by the lawmakers stating that once the people keep quiet, the lawmakers would have their way.
“Although, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), BudgIT, Enough is Enough (EiE) and 6,721 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court to restrain the National Assembly (NASS) Service Commission from paying N5.550 billion budgeted for purchase of luxury cars for principal members of the ninth Senate, and to restrain the Senate from collecting the money until the downward review of the amount proposed by the Senate.
"The suit was filed on Friday at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, and Lagos by Kolawole Oluwadare and supported by an affidavit of urgency. However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
“We must continue to denounce that action because it’s condemnable and totally unacceptable. Nigerian people must not surrender on this issue,” CACOL stated further.