The Senate has blamed a remark by an unnamed minister for the delay in the rehabilitation of the National Assembly complex.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Services, Sen. Sani Musa Chairman, said that the minister made the remark at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
He spoke after a downpour on Tuesday caused the roof of the White House, where the two chambers of the National Assembly are located, to start leaking, resulting in the lobby being flooded.
Many Nigerians that reacted to images and videos of the flooded lobby described it as a national embarrassment.
Senator Musa noted that it was the responsibility of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to renovate the complex to prevent incidents like Tuesday’s.
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He called on the FCDA to expedite action on the renovation.
Senator Musa said, “The building needs to be worked on and if you recall, we proposed the renovation of the complex which the president graciously approved in the budget.
“And we have done the needful. Instead of the national assembly management to handle this project, this project was domiciled in the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCDA) because they are the owners of most of the public buildings in Abuja.
“We know that the complex was handed over to the national assembly management but yet we requested that the renovation should be undertaken by FCDA.
“The FCDA has done the needful: they have called for bids; they have done all the necessary things; they have gone to Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) and no Objection Certificate has been issued.”
Musa added, “Surprisingly however when it got the Federal Executive Council (FEC), one of the ministers made a remark which made the president ask for the review of the whole process and today, you can see what is happening with the complex.
“It was flooded, everywhere is leaking. I will call on the FCDA, I will call on FEC to take a look at our submissions and do the needful.”