The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is still digging for more facts to nail the House of Representatives over alleged official graft in its purchase of 380 “operational vehicles” in 2008 at N2.3billion. EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY: We are investigating the House of Representatives on the car purchase matter; we have not stopped. If you talk of criminal investigations, it is not like the case of ordinary theft.?
?
?“There are several agencies that are involved in looking into the issue, and there are several stages to the investigation. Anywhere in the world, criminal investigations are not time-bound; so it (the alleged car purchase fraud) will come out, no matter how long it lasts.”
?This revelation has come on the heels of a fresh proposal by the Aminu Waziri Tambuwal-led House to spend another whopping ?N2.5illion on 360, “official” vehicles for members of the House.
?
But deputy leader House Leo Ogor told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that there should not be any controversy over the proposal by the House to buy 360 vehicles for ?members of the House and its 89 committees, upped from 84 by the new principal officers. .
The lawmaker said the vehicles the House intends to purchase are not personal vehicles and should not be seen as unreasonable. “The official vehicles we are buying are not personal vehicles, so we should not make it a controversial matter. The Nigerian media should focus on intellectual news and forget about controversial news,” he advised.
?
Earlier, the House spokesman Hon. Zakari Mohammed told journalists after the decision was made at an executive session last Thursday that was presided over by Speaker Tambuwal.?The lawmaker also told journalists that the House had, on June 6 this year, given N7million car loan to each of the 360 members, which amounts to N2.5bilion.Press secretary to the deputy speaker Mr. Oke Epia said the House had already spoken on the matter and has no new position on it.
?
Deputy minority leader Samson Osagie argued that if the presidency and ministries buy cars with every government that comes in place, the House or the National Assembly should not be prosecuted for doing same. “Ministries, the presidency and other agencies of government are buying cars, so why can’t the National Assembly buy new cars for its new members? Asked the principal opposition lawmaker from Edo State who is serving his second term. “We have a new Assembly, with new members; so we have to provide new cars for them. You should know that these cars are not personal, they are official.”
?
On whether the new proposal by the House to buy cars would not raise fresh dust, the lawmaker said, in a veiled reference to the 6th Assembly of ex-Speaker Dimeji Bankole: “We would not cut corners in the new proposal to purchase cars this time”.
But another member of the House, Hon. Nkoyo Toyo, representing Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency of Cross River State, said she was yet to come to terms with the new scramble to purchase cars for lawmakers. “To be honest with you, I was with the ambassador of Finland on the day this decision was taken. I was not a part of it, and nobody has told me the primary reason for the decision to buy cars for members,” she stated.
?
A former member of the House, Hon. Dino Melaye (2007-2011), when contacted by LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, said his case against an earlier purchase of vehicles for members with an inflated cost of N2.3billion “is still in court”.
The 6th House of Representatives presided over by Dimeji Bankole had made a purchase of 380 “operational vehicles” for committees at an alleged inflated cost of N2.3billion in 2008. Bankole had then told journalists that the Peugeot 407 cars which were supplied by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited for N6.1million each would be left behind for succeeding legislators on the expiration of their tenure. However, the cars were given away to the same lawmakers, including the present speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, at the cost of N800, 000 each. ? ? ??
?
Before the expiration of the 6th Assembly, the Bankole-led House was embroiled in a prolonged battle with an 11-member group led by former member Dino Melaye.?Melaye had levelled several allegations against Bankole, including his alleged inflation of the car purchase contract – ?a battle that led to the suspension of the 11 members of the House in 2010.
?