President Muhammadu Buhari has exonerated his Ministers from politicians currently facing corruption charges. he siad any caught will be made to face the law.
He also frowned at plans by the National Assembly to buy over 400 new vehicles valued at over N4.7 Billion at a time the nation is facing cash crunch.
Mr. Buhari criticised the plan on Wednesday during his first televised Presidential Media chat, saying he had rejected a plan to buy new vehicles for him in the 2016 budget estimates.
“I turned down a N400 million bill for cars for the presidency, because the vehicles I am using are good enough for the next 10 years,” he said.
The president said he was having problems with the National Assembly because they were refusing to subject themselves to the new policy of a Treasury Single Account, TSA, and were planning plan to buy new vehicles.
“As for the National Assembly, we are having problems with them. I think everybody has to subject themselves to TSA as far as federal money is involved,” Mr. Buhari said.
When reminded that as the president, he might have the power to try to stop the purchase, Mr. Buhari said “I will explore that power to stop the expenditure of N50 billion for cars by the National Assembly.
“If I can turn down N400 million for the presidency that I do not need any new car because of the economy, I can’t see the National Assembly spending more that N47 billion to buy cars, on top of transport allowance they collect.
“I have to revisit that story. The budget for their transport allowance comes up to a N100 billion. With the kind of money that goes into the National Assembly, we have to look at it conscientiously and see how we can live within our means,” he said.
The president said he would call for a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on the matter.