Senate lists bad roads, other reasons they opt for landcruiser for 469 lawmakers

The Senate has opened up on why 469 federal lawmakers would get Prado Landcruiser Sports Utility Vehicles while dismissing the criticism that followed the revelation of the vehicles to be purchased.

Sunday Karimi, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Senate Services, dismissed the public outcry about the move, adding that he was disappointed about the media frenzy that greeted the revelation of the vehicles, which has now become a culture of the legislature, Vanguard reported.

Karimi gave the update while speaking to journalists at the end of the Senate plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, October 24, noting that the lawmakers took cognizance of some factors before reaching the conclusion.

According to the Senator, some of the factors put into consideration before they settled for the SUV are the poor state of Nigerian roads, cost-effectiveness and durability.

He maintained that the public outcry against the utility vehicles for the lawmakers was unfair, adding that the executive was worse in this kind of situation.

According to him, a minister who was only appointed used a convoy of several of such vehicles and the media was keeping mute about such act. His statement reads in part:

“Somebody that is a Minister has more than three land cruisers, prado and other vehicles and you are not asking them questions, why us? And these vehicles that you see, go to Nigeria roads today, If I go home once, my senatorial district, I come back spending a lot on my vehicles because our roads are bad. Am I talking to somebody?"