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, commonly
referred to as 'jeep', assigned to them for "operational" purposes
like carrying out committee and oversight duties.
The story is the same at the House, where each member has a 2011 model
Toyota Camry 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.
The Prado jeeps and Camry are properties of the National Assembly that
should have ordinarily been left behind by the departing legislators.
But,The PUNCHgathered on Tuesday that, with the understanding of the
management of the legislature, 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.
The money is to be deducted from the severance package of the senators
and the House members.
Findings showed that in line with the arrangement, the Prado jeeps,
valued at the market price of about N9m, would be given away to
senators for around N2.7m.
In the same vein, members of the House will each part with about N1.9m
to go home with the Camry, valued at N6.5m.
An official of the National Assembly management, who confirmed the
"deal" toThe PUNCHin Abuja on Tuesday, said, "The cars have been used
for four years, so this valuation has taken cognisance of the years of
depreciation.
"The vehicles are not taken away free of charge and 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 on over the years."
Investigations also showed 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.
Each of the senators, according to investigations, is receiving N1.8m
basic salary monthly while the Senate President's basic salary per
month, is N2m.
One of our correspondents learnt that the car loan, which was about
N6.5m per senator and N7m for the senate president, was used to buy a
brand new Toyota Camry car each.
The amount, according to a senior member of staff of the National
Assembly, was deducted from the basic salaries of the senators within
two years.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak to the press, said the arrangement was a departure
from the past practice whereby some senators went away with their
operational vehicles as parting gifts.
He said, "The loans were obtained for the lawmakers through the banks
where their salary accounts are domiciled, hence the bankers usually
deduct certain percentage agreed upon from their monthly payments to
service the car, housing and furniture loans."
Attempts to get an official reaction from the Deputy Director of
Information at the National Assembly, Mr. Ishaku Dibal, were
unsuccessful as calls put through to his mobile telephone did not
connect.
However, the Deputy House Majority Leader, Leo Ogor, confirmed
that the operational vehicles would be taken away "but certainly not
for free."
Ogor explained that the "normal procedure" was that the vehicles would
be evaluated and an agreed sum deducted from the severance package of
departing legislators.
"I don't know what the amount will be; but I know that the cars are
not for free. The management of the National Assembly will work it out
and communicate to members accordingly", he stated.
Investigations further revealed that members of the House were also
offered the choice of taking home the plasma TV sets in their offices
on the condition that they would pay 50 per cent of the purchase
price.
—PUNCH
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