360 Reps members to get official vehicles

The House of Representatives has confirmed that the National Assembly bureaucracy is in the process of procuring and distributing operational vehicles to the 360 members of the House over the coming weeks.

The House Spokesman and Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Akin Rotimi, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja.

This, according to him, was in accordance with extant procurement laws and has been the practice in previous assemblies.

Mr Rotimi said it was also not peculiar to the Legislature, as unelected government officials in the executive arm of government from the director level and above, in most cases, have official vehicles attached to their offices.

“It is important to make a few clarifications. The vehicles to be allocated to the offices of honourable members are utility operational vehicles tied to their oversight functions in the discharge of their duties in the standing committees. They are not personal vehicles gifted to honourable members.

“For the duration of the 10th assembly (2023 – 2027), the vehicles shall remain the property of the National Assembly. At the expiration of the tenure of the 10th Assembly in 2027, should the extant assets deboarding policy of government still be in place, honourable members may have the option of making payment for the outstanding value of the vehicles to government coffers before they can become theirs, otherwise it remains the property of the National Assembly,” the House Spokesperson said.

Rotimi stated that as part of the 10th National Assembly’s objective to ensure its integrity and independence, members of the Green Chamber have resolved to maintain a respectable distance from the executive arm of government, especially on issues relating to logistical aspects of oversight functions, including reaching difficult terrains in the country.

He also informed that lawmakers remain committed to reducing the cost of governance in line with present economic realities.