Outrage against N37bn NASS renovation budget misplaced –- Senate

The Senate has described as misplaced and unwarranted, the
public outcry against the leadership of the National Assembly over
the proposed renovation of the nation’s parliament complex by the
Federal Government at a cost of N37bn.

The acting Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who stated this in an interview
with our correspondent in Abuja, said National Assembly leadership
played no role either in the approval, the execution or the cost of
the project.

Akwashiki explained to our correspondent on Tuesday that the
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, did the right thing by
informing the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.),
when the building was giving signs of an imminent collapse.

He said, “The public outcry against the leadership of the
National Assembly on the issue of the N37bn National Assembly
complex renovation project is not only misplaced but unnecessary
and unwarranted.

“The building is the property of the Federal Capital Development
Authority. The N37bn budget for its renovation is not even part of
the 2020 budget of the National Assembly.

“It is the responsibility of the leadership of the National
Assembly to inform the President of the country about the state of
the complex and the dangers that the dilapidated condition poses to
users of the building.

“The Senate President and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives have done what is expected of them by informing
President of the country that the building was about to
collapse.

“It is the function of the FCDA, being owners of the complex, to
invite experts and building technologists who will assess the
condition of the building and come up with a realistic
solution.

It is when they are convinced that the experts, based on their
submissions, are capable of handling the project, that contracts
would be awarded, following due process.

“They (FCDA management) will go through the public procurement
process and ensure that the contractors are qualified to handle the
job.

“No amount is going to the account of the National Assembly from
the N37bn earmarked for the renovation of the complex.

“What then is the fault of the lawmakers or leadership of the
National Assembly now? Is it because we allow the President to know
that the building could collapse if not immediately fixed or
what?

“Should we allow it to collapse to avoid public outcry? If the
building collapses God forbid, the President of the country and the
general public would blame the National Assembly leadership and
management for not raising the necessary alarm to prevent its
occurrence.”

On the fact that many Nigerians have condemned the outrageous
nature of the project cost, Akwashiki said, “It is the FCDA that
knows what to do and how much it would cost to fix the deplorable
condition of the building.

“It is the executive arm of government that initiates projects,
sends experts to do the estimate in terms of amount and materials
needed.

“The project is not the business of the National Assembly, so
the public outcry against the leadership of the National Assembly
is unwarranted,” he added.

The President of the Senate, had said penultimate week that
Buhari was aware of the planned renovation of the National Assembly
complex next year.

He had said that the N37bn was included in the 2020 budget of
the Federal Capital Development Authority.

Lawan, who spoke with journalists in Abuja at a news conference,
explained that the complex, built about 20 years ago, was in
dilapidated condition.

The submissions of Lawan at the news conference generated
reactions from members of the public.

Most commentators accused the federal lawmakers of not being
sensitive to the plight of Nigerians by approving such a huge sum
to carry out the renovation of the complex.