Last October, the House of Representatives and its senior partner, the Senate, took delivery of their Toyota Prado SUVs. One SUV for each member at N160 million per vehicle. With 360 members, the House splashed N57.6 billion to reflate the economy of Japan, the home country of Toyota brand. For the 109 members of the Senate, it cost the nation N17.4 billion. This is aside other utility vehicles including Hilux pick-up trucks and other exotic cars that make up the automobile ensemble of our highly revered and must-be-protected lawmakers.
You see, because they were elected by the people to make laws for the good governance of the nation, they deserve the best vehicles, the best comfort that money can buy. Nigerians screamed, yelled and raged at the wanton waste at a time the economy had just been wheeled into the intensive care unit. Neither the House nor the Senate considered patronage of the indigenous automobile makers. No, their vehicles must be foreign-made because our local roads are bad and treacherous.
But no matter how Nigerians felt, they still had their way. And that’s because they’ve always had their way. It’s historical. Recall that in 2020, this same House of Representatives placed order for 400 exotic cars, the Toyota Camry 2020 model, as their utility vehicles. So, going for Prado SUV in 2023 was a mere upgrade, probably because our roads suffered more structural downgrade.
They opted for this brand of car in lieu of the Nigerian-made Innoson cars or any of the locally-assembled vehicles. Let’s break it down. Utility cars simply means official cars; cars that would help our highly esteemed lawmakers discharge their duties in our collective interest. I will not join those hypocritically castigating our hard-working lawmakers. They deserve all the comfort they can buy with tax-payers’ money.
Can you imagine sitting for 181 days out of 365 days of the year just to make laws for the good governance of the nation? What can be more patriotic than that? And they do so whether they are happy or not. They do so at great risk to their lives as their leadership once told us there was a plan to attack them in the sacred chambers of the National Assembly. We should appreciate their efforts, sacrifice and peerless sense of duty.
Those who do not see the wisdom in the action of the House members should reflect on these. Our honourable members must be seen to be honourable in all their ways. They should not, for instance, be seen inside or anywhere near any automobile made within the country. That’s infra dig and diminishes their honourable values and utilities. A Prado SUV, no longer a Toyota Camry, is just what they deserve. We should not expect honorable people who sit in a hallowed chamber to make laws for the good governance of all of us to be burdened with locally-made (locally-assembled) cars. There is no honour in such basal gesture that dims their essence and esteem.
And why should we ever harbour the primitive thought that such cars should be sourced from Nnewi in Anambra State or anywhere in Nigeria? We should be glad that they were humble enough to settle for a mere Prado SUV as utility vehicles. What if they had chosen the G-Wagon, a Rolls Royce or even a Bentley? Calling them out for picking a Toyota brand over an Innoson brand is a show of ingratitude and total lack of respect for those who take the pains to make laws on our behalf. They go through so much stress trying to make these laws. Some deny themselves lavish holidays abroad; some deny themselves deep sleep plus slumber in their palatial homes and only settle for a nap in the chambers; we should appreciate them.
Again, what is a Prado SUV for a people we spent N37 billion to renovate their offices. If we can spend N37 billion to renovate (not build) offices of our lawmakers, should we not be pleased when the same lawmakers cut cost by opting for common Prado when they deserve a Bentley? Nigerians should appreciate sacrifice when they see one. It is a salute to their humility, patriotism and matchless appetite for service to humanity that they will take the long-suffering option of a Prado when their country can afford a Rolls Royce for each one of them.
I move a motion that all their vehicles, whether utility or luxury, should be bullet-proof. Yes, we cannot take the risk of subjecting our highly dutiful lawmakers to the whims of bandits, kidnappers, insurgents and other home-grown criminals. The lawmakers should as a matter of compelling national importance ensure that all their cars are bullet-proof. We must shield them from the bullets of the dishonourable goons. If we can afford vehicles that can withstand our bad roads, we should afford vehicles built to ward off bullets from the gang of goons.
No serious nation treats her honourable men and women with levity, let alone expose them to the vagaries of vagrants and hoboes. Such men and women are treated with utmost respect, reverence and veneration. Nigeria cannot be an exception. Our lawmakers are our treasure. They are special. They are full of good deeds. They fight for our rights. They have demonstrated uncommon devotion to making good laws including once promoting a bill to establish a commission specifically for repented terrorists (Thank you Senator Ibrahim Gaidam).
You see what I mean? Our lawmakers are special. None like them anywhere in the world. They alone understand that a terrorist is not a criminal who should be prosecuted but someone who when arrested, should be quarantined for weeks or a few months and subsequently allowed back into the same society he sought to destroy only a couple of months back. This is the stuff of our lawmakers. They do great things; great things like marrying four wives and siring 27 children with verdant prospects for more children.
It’s on this score that I will refrain from deprecating our honourable men and women. With the quantum of work they do, the high risks they take and the humiliation they suffer for our sake, they deserve more than ordinary Prado SUV. They deserve their exotic cars. We have no reason to grumble because “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others,” as George Orwell reminded us in his classic novella, Animal Farm.
My only grouse is that months after they had taken delivery of their exotic vehicles, the same Rep members in February, 2024 via a motion urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure implementation and compliance with Executive Order 003 of 2017 on the patronage of locally produced products. That order was signed by President Buhari to enforce patronage of indigenous products and services including Uniforms and Footwear; Food and Beverages; Furniture and Fittings; Stationery; MOTOR VEHICLES; Pharmaceuticals; Construction Materials; and Information and Communication Technology. Obviously, the lawmakers did not remember this Executive Order when they were ejaculating in defence of foreign vehicles. I will not dare tag them a House of Hypocrisy or a band of hypocrites but the less said, the better.