With almost a smack of ‘let the Senate breathe’, the Senate has told Nigerians that the planned purchase of luxury SUV vehicles valued at N160m, each, for members of the National Assembly was in order.

Briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, Sunday Karimi, said that the decision to buy the luxury cars was based on durability and maintenance for the period of four years. He said that even ministers have 3 or more SUVs each and Nigerians are not complaining. He wondered why that of the Senate should be different.

“Some ministers have more than three Land Cruisers, Prado and other vehicles and questions are not asked,” he told journalists.

Already, members of the House of Representatives were set to take delivery of their own SUVs.

Recall that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the lawmakers from taking delivery of the SUVs pending the hearing and determination of the applications for injunction it filed.

SERAP had applied for interim and interlocutory injunction following reports that members of the House of Representatives are set to procure and take delivery of SUVs valued at N57.6 billion.

Since the news broke, there has been public outrage but the lawmakers have remained adamant, insisting on the purchase of the luxury cars.