By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
As Nigeria grapples with economic hardship and public protests, the leadership of the National Assembly is preparing to allocate 40 Toyota Prado SUVs, valued at a total of N2.8 billion, to outgoing Commissioners of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC).
This move has drawn criticism from some staff within the commission, who see it as an example of wasteful spending. The vehicles, purchased under the 2022 budget, are set to be sold to these officials for just N5 million each, despite their market value.
A staff member of the PCC lamented, “This is the height of wasteful spending under the current administration,” further noting that another set of SUVs will be procured for newly appointed Commissioners next year. Despite opposition from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions and civil society organizations, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudden Abbas, reportedly supports the move to let the outgoing officials keep the vehicles at a fraction of their value.
Source: Information and quotes were provided by anonymous PCC staff members as reported by SaharaReporters.