Disquiet in reps over N6.1bn exotic cars

There is disquiet in the House of Representatives over delay by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) to deliver the balance of 360 exotic cars ordered for members of the House.

House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) yesterday said efforts were being made for the cars to be delivered as soon as possible, saying “What I can’t be specific about is the date or month, but I know that the rest of the cars will be delivered very soon.”

Leadership of the House had ordered 360 units of Peugoet 508 for the members of the House, Daily Trust has learnt. The deal which cost about N1.6 billion has been thrown into controversy as on about 170 units have supplied, two years into the life of the legislature.

Sources among lawmakers told Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday that they suspected foul play in the handling of the matter, adding that “First, some of us never wanted Peugeot cars, but when they forced that on us, we accepted. But here we are; over two years into our tenure, about half of us don’t have official vehicles, which are supposed to be used for committee activities.”

Another lawmaker told our correspondent that crisis looms in the House over the matter, because even out of the over 170 vehicles supplied so far, the manner in which they were distributed was “unfair.”

It was gathered that the lawmakers had agreed to distribute the first 50 batch of the vehicles, supplied in October last year, among female lawmakers to be followed by committee chairmen and their deputies.

However, a lawmaker said the House has deviated from that arrangement, “I can’t be lobbying to get what is supposed to be my right. If you go to the office of the House services committee chairman, you’ll see lawmakers queuing to lobby for the cars.

“As I speak, many committee chairmen were not given, while other non-committee chairmen were given. The manner of distribution is unfair.”