Presidency Refuted The Romour; FG Didn’t Buy 200 Cars For First Ladies’ Summit

The Presidency yesterday refuted report in the media that the Federal Government has purchased 200 new “exotic” cars for the African First Ladies Summit which formally opens in Abuja tomorrow.

It said it was Coscharis Motors Ltd who offered to provide some cars for the event at no cost to the organisers or the Federal Government.

Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati who noted in a statement that the presidency received the said report in a national newspaper (not LEADERSHIP) with dismay, described the story as utterly false and misleading.

Explaining what he described as the true facts of the matter, Abati said “The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) which is holding its summit in Abuja is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Its activities are funded by stakeholders and members of the private sector who support and identify with its objectives.

“In accordance with its modus operandi, the AFLPM set up several committees, including a finance committee to raise funds and sponsorship for the organization of its Abuja Summit”.

Noting that it was Coscharis motors that donated the cars, the presidential spokesman said, “As part of its own contributions to the successful hosting of the summit by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Coscharis Motors Ltd. offered to provide some cars for the event at no cost to the organizers or the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Under an agreement signed by the committee and Coscharis Motors, all the cars will be returned to the company after the summit”.

He added that as indicated in the body of the report, its authors were apparently well aware that they had no facts to support the claim in their banner headline that the federal government bought the cars in question, since the admitted in the report that they could not confirm whether the cars were “bought outright or hired.”