Lawmakers Fume As State House Spent ₦6 Billion On Vehicles In 2024

Amid Nigeria’s escalating cost-of-living crisis, the State House has come under scrutiny for spending a staggering ₦5.9 billion on vehicles in 2024.

Naijaonpoint reports that the revelation comes at a time when millions of citizens struggle to afford basic necessities due to soaring inflation and government policies.

The Senate Committee on Special Duties raised concerns on Tuesday over the expenditure during a session where the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi, appeared to defend the 2025 budget allocations.

According to Fashedemi, the State House spent ₦3.9 billion of its ₦4 billion allocation on operational vehicles and utilized the entire ₦2 billion budget for replacing Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

This prompted lawmakers to demand clarity on the necessity and specifics of the purchases.

Lawmakers Demand Answers

A senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi questioned the rationale behind the vehicle purchases and replacements, seeking details on the type, model, and number of vehicles acquired.

He asked, “What kind of vehicles are we talking about, and how many of them are purchased? What is the model?

“And then you also talk about the replacement of SUV vehicles, in which ₦2 billion was appropriated and ₦2 billion was released. What is a replacement, and how many of them have you replaced?”

Similarly, Adamawa Central senator Aminu Adamu criticized the expenditure report, describing it as “deceitful.”

“I want to tell you that whoever prepared this table prepared it to deceive us. It is completely a deceit. You can’t release less than five per cent and tell us 100 per cent utilization performance,” Adamu said.

Permanent Secretary Defends Spending

In his response, Fashedemi, who assumed office only last month, said the expenditures were in line with the approved 2024 budget.

He added that the State House was obligated to implement the budget as passed.

“These items were listed in the approved budget of 2024, and it is mandatory for the State House to carry out the procurements,” Fashedemi explained.

While some lawmakers remained skeptical, others appeared to accept the argument, noting that the spendings had been approved within the budgetary framework.

The Chairman of the committee, Kaka Shehu, urged the State House to maintain a transparent and cordial relationship with the legislature to avoid future misunderstandings.