We only bought 36 Land Cruiser Jeeps not 108 – Senate

Chairman, Senate Committee on Senate Services, Senator Ibrahim Gobir has explained that only 36 Jeeps were purchased by the Senate.

Senator Gobir on Tuesday denied media report that 108 land Cruiser Jeeps was bought by the Senate.

He also explained that they are meant to carry out committees’ assignment.

Gobir made this known while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly.

He said each Land Cruiser Jeep was given to each senator from each state across the country.

Talking about the cost of the Jeep, Chairman said that the total cost of jeep is roughly N37 million explaining that actually  show room price is  N31 million.

However, when the VAT and tax were added to the cost, it was roughly N37 million, he added.

When asked about the car loan received by the Senators after their swearing, he said Senators have not received any car loan saying it was offered to them, but the lawmakers rejected the loan.

He said: “A lot has been happening within the last two days concerning the issue of cars vis a vis car loan, and cost of the car.

“And we feel it necessary to come out and inform the public about what it is so that people can have a better understanding of the whole thing.

[Also], to avoid wrong perception as being created among Nigerians.

“First, I would like to say that the issue that we bought 108 cars is totally wrong, it is not correct. 

“We bought 36 cars. 

“These 36 cars are because each senator in each state is either a Chairman or a Vice Chairman and we gave one car to each state to share among themselves as utility car.

“So we don’t have money to buy 108 cars

“On the issue of buying cars without appropriation is totally wrong because this has been appropriated in the 2015 budget. 

“So we used what we have in the 2015 budget to buy the 36 cars so that it can go round to each state.

“Then the issue of the cost of the car, the showroom price, the cost of the car is N36.5 million and we are surprised. 

“The car we bought is Land Cruiser VXR V8 not V6, therefore the showroom price is about N31 Million minimum and then when you put 10 Per cent tax it becomes 36.5 million.

“In fact you can go to the internet and download it.

“It is very simple, we can give you the website, we have several items we downloaded from the internet, you can see them.

“This particular car costs about 90,000 dollars and by the time you multiply that you will have about N28.8 million.

“So when you add tax, you will end up with about N37 million. 

“So I think what we have purchased the car for is very reasonable.”

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