Lawmakers to use committee rooms, teleconferencing for plenary as NASS renovation begins

Senators and members of the House of Representatives will temporarily use committee rooms and teleconferencing technology to conduct plenary as the contractor handling the renovation of the National Assembly complex officially takes over to start work.

The special adviser on media and labour to the clerk of the National Assembly, Adesoro Austen, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noted that the contractor had 16 months to execute the job; hence the alternative arrangement for the plenary.

“As the renovation commenced, senators will temporarily conduct plenary at Committee Room 022 on the ground floor of the New Senate Building, while the House of Representatives members will use spacious committee rooms on the ground floor of its new wing as plenary venue.

“Members of the House are expected to utilise the halls on the first and second floors of their new building. 

“There is also a plan to use teleconferencing technology to link all lawmakers who may not be able to find seat at the committee room to the ground floor,” he said. 

The statement quoted the executive secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Hadi Ahmad, an engineer, represented by the acting director of Public Building, Adebowale Ademo, an architect, as listing the scope of work to be done in the phase one of the work to entail making the roof watertight, among others. 

In an address, the clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Olatunde Amos, an architect, who was represented by the secretary, Estate and Works, Bashir Yero, an engineer, said the National Assembly complex would remain a place to be in terms of legislators’ comfort after the renovation.   

It would be recalled that the National Assembly complex renovation had been a subject of controversy for sometime as regards the cost, which was initially put at N42 billion, but N37bn was approved after a downward review.