… says he supports buying of SUV for Senators
Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu to sign an executive order on unexplained wealth.
Ndume, who is the lawmaker representing Borno South under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remark in the wake of a comment by retired Supreme Court Justice Musa Muhammad Dattijo over the level of corruption in the country’s judiciary.
While saying there are laws in the UK and other parts of the world to tackle such issues, the lawmaker said he attempted to introduce some bills in that regard.
“I have tried several times but you know, there were excuses here and there,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. “I think the best way to get this across is when the bill comes from the executive or in the interim, the current president should sign an executive bill on unexplained wealth.”
According to Ndume, the level of unexplained wealth in the country especially among politicians and civil servants requires some laws to combat.
“I know of civil servants that live in houses that not only their income, their salaries, or their life pension – assuming they would live in this world for 90 years or 100 years – cannot buy.” Senator Ndume added.
“The same thing with some of our politicians especially the politically exposed persons like ministers, you find as you rightly said, some of them come to the National Assembly, and suddenly [there is so much money].”
Reiterating that politicians are public servants, he called on the public to hold them accountable.
“Well, I will partially accept what you said,” Ndume said when asked if the lawmakers have failed to pass bills to curb the trend of unexplained wealth in the country.
“The public are those that are supposed to put us on our toes to represent them and account for our actions,” the senator added.
On the purchase of SUV for senators, he said: “Buying Vehicles For Civil, Public Servants Not A New Thing “
“But for me, I come to serve and in serving the people, my major constitutional rule is oversight and making laws. If I have to do that effectively, then I need a vehicle that would enable me to do that effectively. That is what I think is the idea behind buying the vehicles.”
He said the purchase of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for members of the National Assembly, arguing that such a move is not new.
Members of the National Assembly faced intense criticism recently when news filtered in that each of the 469 lawmakers would be getting an SUV valued at N160m.
But Ndume believes the development is not novel, maintaining that public servants have always had official vehicles.
“Buying vehicles for public or civil servants is not a new thing. It is only as you, said, ‘What are the implications? What is the cost and what are the alternatives?” Ndume, who spoke on Channels Television’s current affairs show Sunday Politics, said.
While he concurs that the public has a right to question the purchase of the vehicles especially given Nigeria’s current post-petrol subsidy era, the senator said the cars are needed for official work.
“But for me, I come to serve and in serving the people, my major constitutional rule is oversight and making laws,” Ndume added.
“If I have to do that effectively, then I need a vehicle that would enable me to do that effectively. That is what I think is the idea behind buying the vehicles.”
“But it is not new that public servants, especially in the rank of ministers, and heads of parastatals get vehicles,” he said.
Senator Ndume, however, said over the years, the cost of buying such vehicles has continued to rise.
Away from this, he is calling on President Bola Tinubu to sign an executive order on unexplained wealth.
“I have tried several times [to introduce a bill on unexplained wealth] but you know, there were excuses here and there,” Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip said.
“I think the best way to get this across is when the bill comes from the executive or in the interim, the current president should sign an executive bill on unexplained wealth.”