“This is Not a Chamber, It’s Like A Conference Room,” Ndume Laments Senate Renovation

Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, says the upper legislative chamber was poorly renovated.

Both chambers of the national assembly had undergone renovation that lasted about two years. Lawmakers had to make do with temporary venues for plenary and committee hearings while the renovation lasted.

The sum of N42 billion was reportedly earmarked and spent for the refurbishing.

Speaking on the floor of the senate on Tuesday, Ndume likened the red chamber to a “conference room”.

The senator who represents Borno south, said there was no electronic voting device, and the speakers in the chamber were not audible.

“This is not a chamber, it is like a conference room,” he said.

“You will not even know that it is me, Ndume, that is speaking, so also when the leader was speaking.

“We need to correct this. We need to change so many things. Like the sitting row, if you want to stand up, you will have to use tactics or strategy to stand up or sit down.

“There is no voting device here. If we are to vote electronically, the facilities are not there, but we had that previously.

“There is no clock here for senators to see the time. Okay, they are trying to show me and I am looking for it, it is not even clear. There used to be a big one.

“This is a serious observation. If you play back the record, you cannot identify Akpabio’s voice, you have to listen hard, but the audio is supposed to be very clear.”

In his response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the contract for renovation of the national assembly was awarded during the tenure of Ahmad Lawan, former president of the senate.

“This is not our contract, it was a contract that was awarded in the ninth senate,” Akpabio said.

“It is the FCDA (Federal Capital Development Authority) that renovated it. If we have a complaint, we have to channel it to the FCDA.”

Akpabio said there is a need for the national assembly to own the complex, instead of ceding ownership to the FCT administration.

Last week, sitting arrangement in the refurbished chamber caused some senators to engage in a heated debate.