The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), BudgIT, Enough is Enough (EiE) and 6,721 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court to restrain the National Assembly (NASS) Service Commission from paying N5.550 billion budgeted for purchase of luxury cars for principal members of the ninth Senate, and to restrain the Senate from collecting the money until the downward review of the amount proposed by the Senate.
The suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos by Kolawole Oluwadare and supported by an affidavit of urgency. However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
The plaintiffs are seeking for a declaration that the N5.550 billion proposed and budgeted for purchase of vehicles for principal members of Senate [National Assembly] is in breach of Section 57[4] of the Public Procurement Act 2007, Paragraph 1, Code of Conduct for Public Officers [Fifth Schedule Part 1] of the Constitution.
They prayed for an order compelling the 9th Senate to undertake a downward review of the amount proposed and budgeted and an order stopping the NASS Service Commission from paying out the N5.550 billion until the downward review of the amount proposed by the ninth Senate as well as an order restraining all members of the Senate from collecting or demanding the N5.550 billion until the downward review of the amount proposed for purchase of the vehicles.
The plaintiffs argued that: “Spending a huge sum of N5.550 billion to buy luxury cars for principal members of the ninth Senate is unjust and unfair. It negates the constitutional oath of office made by members to perform their functions in the interest of the well-being and prosperity of Nigeria and its citizens, as contained in the Seventh Schedule of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).”
The plaintiffs also argued: “The proposed spending by the ninth Senate raises pertinent questions: What is the economic value and contribution of the vehicles sought to be purchased to the grand scheme of Nigeria’s economy? What are the parameters used to arrive at cost efficiency and value for money in the decision to purchase the vehicles? Where are the vehicles purchased by the eighth Senate?”
The 6,721 concerned Nigerians who joined the suit as co-plaintiffs with SERAP, BudgIT and EiE include: Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) co-conveners, Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu; Jibrin Ibrahim; Edetaen Ojo; Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, and Deji Adeyanju, among others.
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