Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday threatened legal action against the contractor responsible for renovating the National Assembly’s permanent chambers, citing persistent technical faults with the microphones in the Senate chamber. During plenary, several microphones malfunctioned, producing echoes that disrupted proceedings.
Embarrassment During National Assembly Week
Akpabio said the defective audio system had embarrassed him and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during the opening ceremony of National Assembly Week held in the House chamber on Tuesday. “I was at the House of Representatives yesterday to represent you at the opening of their National Assembly Week, and in the course of it, myself and the speaker were thoroughly embarrassed,” he stated.
The Senate president noted that the same contractor handled renovations for both chambers. “The same contractor that handled the renovation of the House of Representatives handled this one as well. If this continues, we have steps we can take, legally, to ensure that a good job is done because this is an embarrassment to our nation,” Akpabio said.
Lawmakers Urged to Document Faults
Akpabio urged senators to take note of the recurring microphone issues, saying their observations would justify any action taken against the contractor. “I hope you are taking note of it, so that when they go to social media to start complaining after we have taken action, you will know why we took the action. We are all witnessing what is going on now,” he added.
This is not the first time lawmakers have criticized the renovation quality since returning to the permanent chambers in 2024. On 7 May 2024, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) condemned the work, saying the chamber was poorly refurbished despite billions of naira spent.
Renovation Contract and Costs
The National Assembly complex is maintained by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). The renovation took about two years, during which lawmakers held plenary in temporary chambers. Premium Times exclusively reported that the federal government awarded the rehabilitation contract to Visible Construction Limited for N42 billion, despite former President Muhammadu Buhari approving N37 billion for the same project in 2019.
Akpabio’s threat signals escalating tensions over the contractor’s performance, with potential legal repercussions if the audio issues are not resolved promptly.
