The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has denied allegations that he imported a bullet proof Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Speaking at an
The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has denied allegations that he imported a bullet proof Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Speaking at an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Saraki said that the said vehicle was not imported by him neither is the vehicle his.
Last week, there were reports alleging that Saraki imported a Bullet Proof SUV which was seized by the Nigerian Customs Service for non-payment of accurate duty on the vehicle. The reports further alleged that the action of the NSC was the major reason why the Red Chamber went all out for the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) over his new policy on vehicle duty.
Going by the allegation, Sen. Ali Ndume had urged the senate to investigate the allegations with a view to clearing the name of Saraki and saving the integrity of the Senate. The matter was referred to the Ethics Committee of the Senate by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary on Thursday. Appearing before the committee yesterday, Saraki said that he was proud of the 8th Senate and was appearing before the committee in recognition of the Senate as an Institution and in reverence to the Democracy that is still growing in Nigeria.
“We must find ways to guard the institution and ourselves against those who wish to diminish or rubbish institutional and individual’s reputation because of 5 minutes of fame. They try to bring everyone else down while grandstanding.
“I did not import any vehicle, I did not ask anybody to act on my behalf. The vehicle is not my personal car,” he said.
He clarified that the Senate had raised the issue on Customs policy based on the interest of Nigerians. He however regretted that those who chose to fight the position of the senate decided to do so using false allegations.
“I urge the ethics committee to protect this institution of the Senate so that it is not ridiculed for political reasons,” he said.
Also the importer of the SUV in question, Mr. Tokunbo Akindele and the dealer, who is the Chairman, Lanre Shittu Motors, Mr. Olanrewaju Shittu, appeared before the panel. Akindele, in his presentation, confirmed that the documents of the car were fake. He, however, stated that no letter was received from the National Assembly for the clearing of the car.
He said, “There was no document received from the National Assembly with the clearing of the car. All the documents were received on receiving the car. We have the clearing documents, which we have found were fake and these were what were given to us. We found this out in 2017, but there is no mention (of it) to the National Assembly even on the fake documents.
“No documents were submitted by the National Assembly. And there is no correlation with Senator Bukola Saraki in terms of clearing this car and the fake documents.”
Akindele explained that he placed the order for the car “on behalf of the firm that I worked for, Oando Plc.” He added that the company ordered for the car because of the “various operations we had around the country”.
He stressed that the delivery was delayed and was no longer needed by Oando when it was delivered in September 2015, making the company to park it. He explained that Oando gave the contract for the purchase, treatment, shipment and clearing to an offshore company, Hizmark Inc., which delivered the car.
A member of the committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, however, asked the importer if there was any document from the National Assembly used in the clearing of the vehicle. He was also asked how the car moved from where it was parked into the National Assembly custody or if there was any transaction with the legislature. Akindele replied, “In the process of clearing the car, we did not receive any documentation from the National Assembly. We were not part of the clearing of the car; we were the customer who expected to receive the car for our own use. The vehicle was not to be used by Senator Bukola Saraki; it was not imported or acquired for his use at the time when the vehicle came into the country.
“The National Assembly took receipt of the car through a consignment from us through Lanre Shittu Motors in December 2015. The car had been in the country for two months and was sitting with no use. We released it to Lanre Shittu on consignment, who, onward, sold it to the National Assembly. At no point did we submit any documents for the clearing of the car; we followed due process in terms of payment to the company which handled all the entire process for us.”
Shittu said, “The SUV in question, a Range Rover bulletproof, was consigned to Lanre Shittu Motors in October 2015, after the consignment from Mr. Wale Tinubu, Oando’s Group Executive Director. It was a brand new vehicle but the vehicle came late. They were not able to use it for the purpose it was ordered. Being that we have been doing business with them for more than two decades, he approached me on how to help in selling the vehicle.”
Punch
