We Bought 36 SUVs Not 108 – Senate

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The Senate on Tuesday said that it bought 36 Land Cruiser VXR V8 jeeps at N36.5 million each for its members.

Chairman, Senate Services, Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, who handled the controversial car purchase deal, gave the explanation in Abuja. According to him, contrary to reports making the rounds that the Senate bought 108 cars for its members, only 36 cars were purchased by the upper chamber.

The Sokoto East Senator told reporters that the explanation became necessary because of the need for Nigerians to understand what transpired and for the Senate to clear the erroneous impression created in the minds of most Nigerians about the car purchase.

Senator Gobir explained that the Senate during a closed session decided to buy the cars as utility cars for its members on one per state basis.

He also said it is not true that the vehicles were purchased with the 2016 appropriation.

According to him, funds for the purchase of the cars were in the 2015 appropriation.

The upper chamber also said no member has taken the car loan granted them at the inception of the Eight Senate. The 36 cars at the rate of N36.5 million each totaled about N1.314 billion.