The Senate yesterday acted on an exclusive report by Daily Trust on how the National Library project rose from N8.5 billion to N38.7 billion in 10 years.
Daily Trust had in October 2016 in an exclusive story chronicled how the contract awarded in 2006 to Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) at the sum of N8.590 billion to be completed in 22 months rose to N38.7bn.
A motion was moved by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos) who cited the Daily Trust report on the project.
He said the National Library Building project was conceptualized by the Federal Government in 2002 but awarded in 2006 to Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) at the sum of N8.590 billion with a project timeline of 22 Months.
“While the company commenced work on the project in April, 2006, it could not proceed due to the failure of government to release sufficient funds for the completion of the project, leading to its being revised 3 times over the period;
“A comprehensive report made in the Daily Trust Newspaper, published on October 18, 2016 and a recent report on Channels TV detail the pitfalls of the project as follows. Despite the importance of this National Library, the project has been poorly funded since its inception.”
The Senate therefore mandated its Committee on Education to meet with the Ministers of Education and the Federal Capital Territory and the National Librarian/Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria to adopt an appropriation strategy that would ensure the completion of the project starting from the 2018 Appropriation Bill.
