Buhari repudiates N400m armoured vehicles

Firstclass newsline learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari has turned
down an offer by the Federal Government to procure five new armoured
Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars for his use.
The cars which total cost is put at about N400m were planned to be
purchased by the State House.
A Presidency source told journalists on Thursday that Buhari got to
know of the plan when the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr.
Nebolisa Emodi, was briefing him of his ministry's activities on
Wednesday.
Miffed by the revelation, the President was said to have told Emodi
that the purchase was unnecessary.
Describing it as a waste of scarce resources, the source said Buhari
told the permanent secretary that the cars he inherited from former
President Goodluck Jonathan were good enough for him.
"I don't need any new cars. The ones I am using now are just fine,"
the source quoted the President as saying.
The top government officials, however, said Buhari welcomed other
initiatives presented by the permanent secretary to reduce the
operating costs of the State House and strengthen its Finance and
Accounts Internal Control Mechanisms.
He however directed that more efforts be made henceforth to capture
all State House expenses within the approved national budget.
This, he said, was to avoid the frequent recourse by past
administrations to "Presidential intervention funds."
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,
Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed to a source that Buhari had withheld
approval for the purchase of the new cars.
Shehu said the President would continue to use the cars left behind by
Jonathan in keeping with his commitment to prudent management of
national resources.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the proposal to procure the new cars
was first made to Jonathan before he left office.
The former President was however said to have directed that it be
represented to Buhari for approval on his assumption of office since
the cars could only be delivered some months after the May 29 handover
date.
Firstclassnewsline.net