Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has defended the provision of official vehicles to lawmakers, arguing that members of the National Assembly require them to effectively carry out their legislative duties.
Speaking on AIT’s Political Platform on Monday, Umeh dismissed criticisms surrounding the allocation of vehicles to federal lawmakers, insisting that receiving an official vehicle for official functions should not be controversial.
When asked if he got a vehicle from the National Assembly, he said: “Why won’t I get a vehicle for performing official function? Are you not seeing people in the executive arm of government having fleet of vehicles?'”
The senator argued that the National Assembly was often unfairly singled out for criticism over official benefits available to public office holders.
“Why is National Assembly singled out for lampooning? You cannot be faulted for having one official vehicle, one, not two, not fleet. I’m not a principal officer in the National Assembly, I’m just a senator representing my senatorial district, and I’m entitled to an official car to do my work. If the only way Nigeria can be good is for senators to be trekking to work, well, I don’t think we’re being serious,” Umeh said.
Reacting to a court judgment secured by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the National Assembly over vehicle procurement and lawmakers’ allowances, Umeh said it was the responsibility of the organisation to enforce the ruling.
“SERAP should go and execute the judgment. If you get a judgment, you have to enforce it against the persons it is directed,” he stated.
The lawmaker also rejected allegations that lawmakers receive excessive allowances and benefits, maintaining that the National Assembly operates within established institutional processes that are open to scrutiny.
“I know that the National Assembly is an institution that has systems, that you can audit. If you have anything, it’s not by saying the people are getting jumbo pay and all that and you get an order. Let them go and get the Auditor-General of the Federation to support their claims or the National Assembly Service Commission,” he said.
Umeh’s remarks come amid continued debate over a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which declared unlawful the National Assembly’s vehicle procurement and allowance schemes.
The court, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, held that the planned expenditure of N40 billion on 465 vehicles for federal lawmakers and N70 billion as support allowances for newly elected legislators violated procurement laws, constitutional provisions and the public trust.
SERAP, which instituted the suit, said the court ruled that the expenditures were arbitrary, disproportionate and inconsistent with statutory procurement standards.
