The Senate has said the controversial Range Rover it bought after its importation into the country was not worth N298 million.
In two separate email messages to The Eagle Online, the Senate put the cost of the Range Rover at $298,000, but with different Naira value.
It said at the exchange rate of 2015 when the vehicle was bought, it will cost between N58 million and N62.5 million.
While the spokesman of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, put the cost at N62.5 million, a further note from the office of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said the vehicle was bought between N58 million and N62 million.
Abdullahi said in his statement: “Our attention has been drawn to the various false and mischievous reports in the media about the price of the vehicle which the Senate was said to have bought as part of its convoy but was later abandoned when it got impounded by the Customs over controversy surrounding import duty payment.
“The correct price of the vehicle when it was imported in 2015 is $298,000 which at the prevailing rate of N165 to a dollar is about N49,170. The Senate paid N62.5m for the vehicle in November 2015. This is contrary to the mischief by those who decided to turn the $298,000 to N298m as the price of the vehicle. For the avoidance of doubt, the price of that vehicle is N62.5m and not N298m.
“The Senate will appreciate it if all reports relating to the legislative institution, particularly on this vehicle matter, are reported with accuracy and all facts put in proper perspective. We urge journalists to avoid sensationalism. The Senate is a responsible institution and those who believe that when they have issues to explain before it, the next thing to do is to resort to falsehood, blackmail, muck-raking and mud-slinging, should know that they are just overheating the polity and undermining our democratic institution.
“Finally, the Senate wish to reiterate our total commitment to upholding the rule of law and to work for Nigerians, in accordance with our constitution.”
Another clarification signed by the SLA Communications & Strategy, Office of the Senate President, Olu Onemola, said: “Several news publications, both print and online, have wrongly reported that the Range Rover Bullet Proof SUV vehicle at the center of the import duty waiver story is worth N298 million.
“Please note, the value of the car as specified by all related documents is $298,000, which makes it in the range of N58 million to N62 million (based on 2015 exchange rates). This makes the inaccurate figure N240 million over the actual value of the car.”
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