As Nigerians continue to grapple with economic challenges, including the recent removal of fuel subsidies, state governors are facing growing scrutiny over their lavish spending habits.
Despite widespread hardships, governors across the country are maintaining expensive and extravagant convoys, spending millions of naira to upkeep fleets of high-end vehicles.
Punch reports that governors are opting for luxury cars, such as the Lexus LX 570, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, and BMW X5, each costing between N45 million and N70 million.
The vehicles, which are part of state-maintained fleets, come with hefty costs for repairs, fuel, and security operations.
The maintenance of the fleets has become a contentious issue, as critics argue that the spending is out of touch with the realities facing ordinary Nigerians, who are struggling to cope with inflation and rising living costs.
In a period when the government has made tough decisions to cut subsidies and reduce public spending, the extravagant nature of the convoys has sparked outrage.
While governors justify the expenses as necessary for security and protocol, critics contend that the funds could be better utilized to address pressing public needs, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
A resident of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasaraswa state, Agatha Locombu, expressed dismay at the large convoy of the governor amidst prevailing hardship.
Agatha said, “The vehicles being used by politicians are too many. You can imagine a governor having a convoy of over 15 vehicles in this hard time. It is not the right thing to do.
“Here in Nasarawa State, our governor has numerous SUVs in his convoy, and sometimes, I imagine how much the state government spends to maintain the vehicles when the masses can barely afford three square meals a day.”
