In a contentious turn of events, the contractor responsible for the renovation of the House of Representatives chamber has openly disputed the December 31 deadline set by the Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, for the completion of the project.
Addressing the tight deadline issued during an unannounced site visit by the Speaker and his Deputy, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, on November 14, the Project Manager, Mr Tajudeen Olanipekun, dismissed the notion of funding causing the delay, affirming that the contract has been adequately funded.
Commencing in April 2022, the renovation has stretched beyond a year without visible signs of reaching its conclusion, as reported by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Speaker’s insistence on the December 31, 2023, deadline is to facilitate the commencement of legislative activities in the newly-renovated chamber for the year 2024, according to NAN.
Notably, the renovation project falls under the purview of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) rather than the National Assembly management.
Olanipekun underscored the lawmakers’ role as end users and downplayed the inflexibility of the deadline, stating, “We are dealing with end users and not the client, whatever we do we report to the client. We cannot stop the end users from coming to see their property.”
The Speaker’s impromptu inspection aimed to ensure compliance with the December 31 deadline, enabling the House to reconvene in the refurbished chamber after the end-of-year recess. This move stems from the perennial flooding of the National Assembly complex prior to the renovation and the initial budget allocation of over N30 billion in 2019, which was later revised downwards to N9 billion due to public scrutiny.
Committing to rigorous oversight, Rep. Amos Daniel, Chairman of the House Services Committee, pledged to closely supervise the Contractor to uphold the project’s timely completion and quality standards.
