In a recent development, the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives are preparing to spend a whopping sum of over N40 billion to purchase bulletproof official vehicles for their respective members. The vehicles are set to be allocated to lawmakers in both the Red and Green Chambers of the National Assembly.
According to reports, the responsibility of acquiring these armoured vehicles falls under the purview of the Senate Committee on Services. This committee will be in charge of negotiating the purchase and facilitating the delivery of the vehicles to the lawmakers.
As part of the plan, 107 units of the 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 SUVs will be designated for members of the Senate, while the House of Representatives will receive 358 units of the 2023 Toyota Prado SUVs.
It is important to note that this allocation is separate from the official vehicles that will be procured for the four presiding officers of the National Assembly, which includes the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
To handle the purchase of the additional bulletproof official vehicles for Senator Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, the Senate President has constituted the Committee on Senate Services, headed by Senator Sunday Steve Karimi from Kogi West.
According to a car dealer based in Nigeria, the estimated cost for purchasing a bulletproof vehicle produced in 2023 is over N300 million. However, the actual price might increase further if the current naira exchange rate does not improve.
As the Senate and House of Representatives move forward with this substantial investment in official vehicles for their members, the decision is expected to generate discussions and debates among citizens regarding the allocation of funds and the priorities of the National Assembly.
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