The Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), has responded to public criticism surrounding the acquisition of Prado Landcruiser Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for 469 federal lawmakers, asserting that the outcry is misplaced. He expressed his disappointment with the media attention given to the vehicle purchase, which he noted has become a recurring topic every four years.
Karimi, speaking to journalists after a Senate plenary session in Abuja, clarified that the Senate carefully considered various factors, including cost-effectiveness, durability, and the poor condition of Nigerian roads, before choosing the SUVs.
He argued that the public focus on lawmakers’ utility vehicles is unfair, highlighting that the executive branch, including ministers who were not elected, often travel in convoys of similar vehicles without much scrutiny from the media or the public.
Karimi emphasized that the decision to use Landcruisers was based on a thorough analysis, including a comparative assessment of cost and durability, especially on Nigerian roads. He defended the choice as a practical one, intended to provide vehicles that could be maintained for another four years.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the purchase of vehicles by the National Assembly is a recurring issue seen in every assembly, and it is also common at the state and local government levels. Karimi mentioned that when he entered the Senate, he inherited a liability of over N16 billion, which included vehicles from the 7th, 8th, and 9th assemblies.
