The Nigerian Senate has expressed outrage over the N6 billion spent by the State House on vehicles in 2024 amidst the nation’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
This development, revealed during a budget defense session on Tuesday, has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, who described the expenditures as excessive and unjustifiable.
The Permanent Secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi, disclosed that the presidency was allocated N4 billion for operational vehicles, of which N3.9 billion was released and spent.
Additionally, N2 billion was appropriated and utilized for replacing Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).
At the session, Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi questioned the necessity and specifics of the purchases.
“What kind of vehicles are we talking about, and how many of them were purchased? What is the model?” he asked. Ningi further demanded clarity on why the SUVs required replacement.
Adamawa Central Senator Aminu Abbas criticized the expenditure report, describing it as deceitful.
“Whoever prepared this table did it to deceive us. You cannot release less than five per cent and claim 100 per cent utilization performance,” he argued, demanding a breakdown of the expenses and justification for the replacements.
Defending the expenditures, Mr. Fashedemi explained that he recently assumed office and could not account for the rationale behind the purchases.
However, he maintained that the spending aligned with the approved 2024 budget.
The committee chairman, Kaka Shehu, urged the State House to maintain transparency and foster a better relationship with the legislature, stressing the importance of accountability in public spending.
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