Exclusive: Public Officials Cry Foul As Kwara Govt Allegedly Returns Multi- million Naira Defective Vehicles Purchased For Top Functionaries To Motor Dealer

By Ahmed Ajikobi

Official Vehicles bought by the kwara state government for cabinet members and other top state officials are allegedly being returned to the auto company which supplied  them due to strings of persistent mechanical complaints which make the vehicles unsuitable and unsafe for use.

The China made Geely cars were reportedly purchased by the kwara state government about two years ago.

National Pilot sources disclosed that the contract for supply of the vehicles was awarded to Skymit Motors, a lagos based auto company owned by Tayo Ayeni.

Ayeni is a long time  friend of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and is credited for the supply of vehicles to kwara state government since assumption of the present administration in 2019.

The contract for the supply was reportedly over N200m.

Sources in the state who spoke on condition of anonymity criticised  the quality of the brand the governor approved to be supplied by the contractor.

They claimed that the brand supplied is cheaper but not a durable model .

” He went for Geely cars, a Chinese brand, over other reputable car models. This is bad “, one of the sources said.

According to Motors and Wheels, an authoritative information provider in the automotive industry, Geely cars are known for technical issues including loss of fuel, stalling engine and transmission problems.

“A stalling engine can be annoying even for the most patient of drivers and can get irritating in stop-and-go traffic. The Geely is one of the models that experience stalling multiple times,” a review of Geely models on its website reads.

The choice of  Greely, a model, known for their affordability but not necessarily their durability, has garnered criticism, even among public officials.

Some of the officials who got the vehicles less than a year ago have reportedly expressed secretly their grievances about how vehicles meant to cater to the needs of their offices and departments have developed several faults in a short while.

“You will think they were bought as used cars. I don’t know why it was  decided that the supplier  supply a lesser-known Chinese brand over established and reputed names like Toyota, Lexus, and Mitsubishi,” an aide to a commissioner commented.

A senior official working in the Ministry of Education, who begged not to be quoted, noted that the situation is further compounded by the fact that a substantial number of recently appointed commissioners remain without official vehicles.

“They are being forced to rely on their private cars for official engagements,” he said.

Top sources in the government house,however disclosed to National Pilot that the state government had commenced the return of the faulty cars back to the lagos based auto company.

While this medium cannot confirm the number of cars that have been returned, a video footage obtained showed a specialised car-hauling truck taking some cars out of the government house in the past few days.

Commenting on the return, a lawmaker who refused to be named for security reasons, stated that the return was long overdue and that the government could no longer pretend that the cars were good.

He however declined comments when asked if the Kwara state house of assembly would probe into the purchase of the vehicles.

“Speak to the leadership of the house on that, they’re the only one that determines what can be raised or can’t be raised against the government” he said in a terse response.

Prominent civil society leader and convener of Kwara for Kwarans, Abdulbasit Oloyede, said “Kwara State needs leadership that leads by example. The return of these vehicles points to a questionable procurement process, and it does not bode well for the Governor’s anti-corruption stance.”

When National Pilot contacted the kwara state commissioner for communication, Mrs Bola Olukoju on the development, she said the vehicles are under routine maintenance.

According to Olukoju who spoke to National Pilot in a telephone interview on Saturday, there is no foul play in the vehicles being returned to the manufacturer.

The vehicles, she revealed, are still under warranty and all the vehicles have to be serviced by the manufacturer.

“ I was also assigned one. Mine has been fixed and returned to me. In fact, the vehicle is what I drove to kwara North for an event today. For more verification, come to my office on Monday. So we can drive together. The vehicles are still under warranty. They have to be serviced by the Manufacturer. So there is no foul play. All the vehicles went for routine maintenance. There is no big deal about the vehicles being serviced by the manufacturer. They have been returned to all colleagues. I am driving my vehicle right now.”