Utility Prado SUVs valued at N130 million would be handed to each member of the House of Representatives.

The spokesman for the parliament, Rotimi Akin, confirmed this in a statement issued late Sunday night in Abuja, noting that the National Assembly has procured and would soon distribute the vehicles.

According to the lawmaker, the initiative aligned with existing procurement laws, adding that it was customary in previous assemblies. He said the distribution concerned vehicles tied to lawmakers’ oversight functions in discharging their duties within the standing committees, and they are not personal gifts.

“For the duration of the 10th assembly, spanning from 2023 to 2027, these vehicles will remain the property of the National Assembly.

“However, should the government’s extant assets deboarding policy still be in place at the end of the assembly’s tenure in 2027, lawmakers may have the option to purchase the vehicles before they become their property,” the lawmaker said.

Akin emphasized the significance of vehicles in enhancing the performance of lawmakers’ responsibilities, particularly in relation to oversight functions across different regions of the country.

He expressed the objective of ensuring the efficient implementation of government interventions, programs, and policies, regardless of the location of Nigerian citizens while he also drew attention to the decreasing percentage of the legislature’s budget within the national budget, which has consistently declined over the past decade and currently stands at 0.5% of the federal budget.

The lawmaker urged stakeholders to prioritize cost reduction in appropriate areas while providing support to lawmakers in effectively and ethically carrying out their duties.

He stated that the vehicles serve as tools for work and not as symbols of status, intended to facilitate improved representation, constituency outreach, and oversight functions performed by elected representatives.