The Senate Debugs Romour Of SUV Senate President's Car Scandal, $298,000 Not N298m

Dr. Bukola Saraki, Nigeria Senate President

According to Punch report, the senate has cleared the air wave on the amount for the Armored Range Rover Sports car controversy that the senate president is suffering recently.

The senate on Tuesday said the said amount is false and should be discarded.

However, the actual cost of the car is $298,000 and not N298m.

While appearing before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Monday, the importer, Mr. Tokunbo Akindele, confirmed that the documents of the car were fake.

He, however, stated that no letter was received from the National Assembly for the clearing of the car.

He said, “There was no document received from the National Assembly for the clearing of the car. All the documents were received on receiving the car. We have the clearing documents, which we have found were fake, and these were what were given to us. We found this out in 2017, but there is no mention to the National Assembly even on the fake documents.

“The correct price of the vehicle, when it was imported in 2015, is $298,000, which at the prevailing rate of N165 to a dollar is about N49.17m. The Senate paid N62.5m for the vehicle in November 2015. This is contrary to the mischief by those who decided to turn the  $298,000 to N298m as the price of the vehicle. For the avoidance of doubt, the price of that vehicle is N62.5m and not N298m.

“The Senate will appreciate it if all reports relating to the legislative institution, particularly on this vehicle matter, are reported with accuracy and all facts put in proper perspective. We urge journalists to avoid sensationalism. The Senate is a responsible institution and those who believe that when they have issues to explain before it,  the next thing to do is to resort to falsehood, blackmail, muckraking and mud-slinging, should know that they are just overheating the polity and undermining our democratic institution.