Lawmakers have budgeted an additional N30 billion for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
The N30 billion earmarked for the renovation of the building was part of the N344.85 billion budgeted for the National Assembly after they raised their allocations from N197.93 billion.
The N344.85 billion, signed by President Bola Tinubu on 1 January, is the highest ever allocated to the legislature.
The additional N30 billion brings to N60 billion the amount being spent on the renovation of the National Assembly complex.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is also the President of the National Assembly, had on 30 June 2023, declared that President Tinubu would in December, last year inaugurate the N30 billion different ongoing projects at the National Assembly.
Akpabio said, “The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects which would, on completion, be inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in December this year (2023)”.
The renovation was initially billed to be completed and delivered in August 2022 but the delivery date was later moved to January 2023 and then December 2023.
As of January 2024, the renovation of the National Assembly Complex is yet to be completed with skeletal work ongoing on the premises.
It was observed on Saturday that the contractor, Visible Construction Company, was still at work.
An official of the construction firm, who spoke to The PUNCH anonymously said, “People keep blaming us for not finishing the project but those with the money have refused to release money to us.
“How are we expected to finish the work without money? If money is released to our company, the project will be done in no time”.
Earlier during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, the site engineer, Tajudeen Olanipekun, blamed “fluctuations in the value of naira to the United States dollar for the delay”.
“This has hampered the importation of required materials and equipment, in addition to the need for more funds from the FCDA”, he said.
The Head of Public Relations, Federal Capital Development Agency, Richard Nduul, in June disclosed that N19 billion had been paid to the construction company.
He said, “I would like to refer you to a recent press briefing by the Executive Secretary, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, just about three weeks ago, where disclosed that so far about N19 billion has been expended out of the sum of N30 billion being the cost of the contract awarded in 2021 to Messrs Visible Construction Nigeria Limited with a completion date of August 2023.
“This project when completed, will bring the Complex to the status of a world-class parliamentary building that will ensure both the comfort, convenience, and functionality of the complex”, Nduul added.
When Nduul was contacted on how much had been expended on the project so far, he said he was on sick leave.
He said, “Please call back on Monday so that I can get the records from the concerned department”.
In the same vein, when reporter reached out to the site engineer, Olanipekun for comment on the amount paid, but he refused to pick up his calls and even blocked our the reporter from reaching him.
He had also refused to reply to the text messages sent to him.
Isabella Adesola
8 January 2024 at 1:30 pm
What manner of insensitive leaders are these ones??? How much does it cost to build a new complex if 60 billion is JUST FOR RENOVATION? May the earth they walk upon judge them. May that which bring them joy at the expense of the suffering masses turn to bitterness and anguish. May their habitations be desolate, their wives become widows and their children vagabonds on the streets. May their paths be dark and slippery.