Approved N9bn for renovation of National Assembly not released – Senate

The Senate on Wednesday said that the N9billion approved for the renovation of the National Assembly complex in the 2020 Appropriation Act was never released by the Federal Government.

Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

Recall that following a heavy downpour in Abuja on Tuesday, the foyer of the National Assembly became flooded following profuse leakage from the roof of the White House Complex.

Basiru said National Assembly is not responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the complex.

The statement reads: “Contrary to the widespread falsehood being peddled both in the mainstream and online media as a fall out of the reported incident of the leaking roof of the National Assembly Complex after a heavy downpour on Tuesday, 21 June 2021, it is pertinent to inform the General Public that the National Assembly and its leadership is not responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the National Assembly Complex and they have not received a sum of 37 billion naira or any amount for the renovation of the Complex.

“While it is true that an initial appropriation of the above-stated sum was made due to the decaying nature of the National Assembly Complex which has not witnessed any major maintenance or overhauling since construction, the said amount was reduced to 9 billion naira after the breakout of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even with this reduction, the sum of 9 billion or any amount is yet to be cash-backed or released to the National Assembly. None of this amount is even appropriated for the National Assembly bureaucracy or its leadership.

“It must be reiterated that the National Assembly Complex is a National Monument which falls under the purview of control of the Federal Capital Development Agency. In essence, the FCDA is responsible for its maintenance as well as renovation and not the Leadership of the National Assembly as being falsely bandied about.

“The leakage witnessed at the foyer of the National Assembly yesterday (Tuesday) justifies the apprehension of the leadership of the National Assembly and the FCDA and further underscores the need for an urgent intervention in revamping the dilapidated structures within the complex before it falls into further dilapidation with the attendant huge cost of a possible replacement.”