Lawmakers have earmarked an additional N30bn for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
The N30 billion earmarked for building renovations was part of the National Assembly’s N344.85 billion budget, which was increased from N197.93 billion.
The N344.85 billion signed by President Bola Tinubu on January 1 is the greatest amount ever allotted to the legislature.
The additional N30 billion takes the total cost of renovating the National Assembly premises to N60 billion.
Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President and President of the National Assembly, said on June 30, 2023, that Tinubu would inaugurate the N30 billion in various current projects in the National Assembly in December of last year.
Akpabio said, “The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects that would, on completion, be inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in December this year (2023).”
The renovation was originally scheduled to be completed and delivered in August 2022; however, the delivery date was pushed back to January 2023 and then December 2023.
As of January 2024, the reconstruction of the National Assembly Complex was still incomplete, with just skeletal work being done on the premises.
Our correspondent, who was at the site on Saturday, noticed that the contractor, Visible Construction Company, was still working.
An official of the construction firm, who spoke 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 a visit by the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, the site engineer, Tajudeen Olanipekun, blamed “fluctuations in the value of the 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.
However, Richard Nduul, Head of Public Relations at the Federal Capital Development Agency, announced in June that N19 billion had been paid to the building business.
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 it was disclosed that so far, N19bn has been expended out of the sum of N30bn 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.
However, when our correspondent called Nduul to inquire about the project’s progress, he stated that 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 spirit, reporters attempted to contact Olanipekun, the site engineer, for comment on the sum paid, but he refused to answer the phone and even barred journalists from reaching him.
