According to reports filtering around the National Assembly, the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited will as from June 2016, begin the delivery of 360 cars to members of the Federal House of Representatives.
Punch Newspapers reports that each of the 360 lawmakers would be issued with a Peugeot 508 Salon car.
The report further states that the cars are being bought for oversight duties and not for the personal use of the lawmakers.
In spite of the public criticism of the purchase of 108 Toyota Land Cruisers Sport Utility Vehicles for senators, the Reps are said to have justified the purchase of their Peugeot cars on the grounds that they are buying from an indigenous firm.
A senior official of the House was quoted to have said: “The agreed price for each unit is N10m, which will leave the total cost for the 360 units at N3.6bn.”
The payment of the N3.6bn would be spread across two years simply because the capital vote of the House in the 2016 budget was not sufficient to cover the cost of the cars.
Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, was also quoted to have justified the decision of the lawmakers to buy new cars.
“Peugeot is a local vehicle assembly plant. By patronising them, it is the decision of the House that we will be generating employment and promoting made in Nigeria products. That is the difference.”
“Each unit is N10m, which is, again, far cheaper compared to when we have to import the cars. We have resolved to buy the cars and in weeks from today, they will begin to arrive.”
“The question is whether members need these cars to perform their duties. There is never going to be a time when it will be right to buy the cars. We will buy and get over the issue once and for all.”
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