As measures to cut down government expenses, President Muhammadu Buhari is walking his talk as he has rejected plans the plans by the State House to buy five new armoured Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars for his use, The Herald has learnt .
The cars which total cost is put at about N400m were planned to be purchased by the State House.
Buhari got to know of the plan when the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi, briefed him of his ministry’s activities on Wednesday.
The President was said to have told Emodi that the purchase was unnecessary, as it amounted to a waste of scarce resources,
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.
It was gathered that the proposal to procure the new cars was first made to Jonathan before he left office who however directed that it be represented to President Buhari for approval on his assumption of office since the cars could only be delivered some months after the May 29, 2015 handover date.
He however approved the plan of the Permanent Secretary to reduce the operating costs of the State House and strengthen its Finance and Accounts Internal Control Mechanisms.
Buhari told him to capture all State House expenses within the approved budget, to avoid the frequent recourse to “Presidential intervention funds,” as it was rampant in the last administration.
When he visited the United Kingdom in May, shortly before his inauguration, the then president-elect rejected the exotic cars made available for his use by the Nigerian High Commission.
When he arrived at Heathrow Airport, he turned down the Rolls Royce brought by the High Commission by telling High Commissioner Dalhatu Tafida, that his visit was strictly private and he had made arrangements for all his needs in the UK.
A presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu said “in keeping with his commitment to prudence in the management of national resources, President Buhari will continue to use the cars left behind by President Jonathan.”
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