After N30bn budget, contractor wants more funds to finish National Assembly renovation work

NASS seeks speedy renovation of complex.

The Visible Concept, the construction firm handling the N30 billion renovation work at the National Assembly Complex, has been ordered by the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to speedily complete the projects.

The committee on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work in the ongoing renovation.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Senator Smart Adeyemi gave the order in Abuja when he led the committee on an on-the-spot assessment of the ongoing renovation.

However, the site engineer of Visible Concept, Tajudeen Olanipekun, pleaded for more funds to complete the project in good time.

He noted that fluctuations in the value of the naira to the U.S. dollar had been problematic for them in importing required materials and equipment, coupled with the need for more mobilization funds from the FCDA.

FCDA had in March this year awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of critical segments in the complex.

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The segments included the hallowed chambers of the senate and the House of Representatives, the dome in the White House, and the construction of the office of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and library at the cost of N30 billion.

Mr Adeyemi noted that though the renovation works being carried out at both chambers were commendable, the slow pace of work was very worrisome.

“This project must not be abandoned in any way. The hallowed chambers are expected to be completed and delivered by the end of January 2023.

“But the level of work seen here today is not pointing at that which, to us, is a threat to our legislative duties and functions.

“Non-completion of this project at designated times is even a threat to democracy itself because we don’t want the incoming government to inherit it as an abandoned one.

“So, this committee wants to know the challenges confronting the contractors as regards expeditious execution of the projects,” he said.

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