The Senate President, Ahmad Lawal, has said neither the National Assembly nor its leadership is responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the National Assembly Complex.
The Senate President also stated that no money, not even the N37 billion requested for the renovation of the complex or the approved N9 billion, had been released.
Vanguard reported earlier that the Lawal said the reported roof leakage at the National Assembly justified the request for N37 billion for its renovation.
Lawan stated this in his remarks on two Points of Order raised by Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, during plenary on Wednesday.
Sabi had raised Points of Order 14 and 15 of the Senate Standing Rule in reaction to a report on roof leakage in the National Assembly Complex. Read the story HERE. View the leaking roof video HERE.
On who is to blame for the state of the Complex, Lawal released a statement, Wednesday, entitled “National Assembly is Not Responsible for the Maintenance and Renovation of the National Assembly Complex”.
He said: “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, June 21, 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 N9 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.”
He added that the National Assembly Complex is a National Monument which falls under the purview of control of the Federal Capital Development Agency, FCDA.
“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 Senate President said.
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