Ben Murray-Bruce is a former senator from Bayelsa State.
A former senator from Bayelsa State, Ben Murray-Bruce, says it is a great betrayal for various Nigerian governments to continue to buy foreign-made vehicles for its officials when Innoson Motors can meet such need.
Innoson Vehicles is an indigenous automobile manufacturing company based in Nnewi, Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.
"It is a mortal disservice to Nigeria to return to the regime of defending the naira with $1.5 billion monthly. But it is even more of a betrayal for our various governments to continue buying foreign-made cars for officials when Innoson Motors can meet the need," Mr Murray-Bruce said via a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
The former senator, who served in the upper chamber between June 2015 and June 2019, urged Nigerians to patronise locally made products in order to help grow the naira, which has continued to suffer reduction in value at the various markets.
As of Tuesday, N764 is exchanged for $1 in the official market. But black market rate has jumped to over N1,000 per dollar.
"As a private citizen, you can buy whatever you want with your funds. Even at that, if you love Nigeria, you ought to buy made in Nigeria to grow the naira," Mr Murray-Bruce stated.
"But as elected or appointed officials, our ministries, departments and agencies ought to buy made in Nigeria (products) out of obligatory duty."
The politician said there was a need for the Nigerian government to consider "amending the Public Procurement Act 2007" to make patronage of local products mandatory by law.
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"As often as you can. When you do, you are not just buying Nigerian, you are also buying a better future for yourself," he told Nigerians.
Connecting the dots
The comment by Mr Murray-Bruce comes days after the National Assembly indicated that it would be buying "operational vehicles" for its 469 members at a cost above the package prescribed for the lawmakers by the Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The federal lawmakers had rejected cheaper Sedan and Salon cars and chosen expensive SUVs in violation of the revenue package put together for them and other public office holders by the RMAFC.
The lawmakers have been criticised by many Nigerians for seeking to procure the expensive SUVs for themselves in the face of economic hardship across the country.
However, the Senate on Tuesday justified the planned purchase of the luxury vehicles, claiming the lawmakers want vehicles that will not only be durable on Nigerian roads but also be able to maintain for the period of four years.
This is not the first time the lawmakers would be ditching Made in Nigeria vehicles.
There was an outrage in 2020 when members of the House of Representatives reportedly refused to endorse Innoson cars as their official vehicles.
Unlike the lawmakers, some governors in Nigeria have continued to embrace Innoson vehicles and other made in Nigeria products.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, for instance, has continued to use Innoson vehicles and other locally made products, since his inauguration as governor on 17 March 2022.
