The Senate spokesman and Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Godiya Akwashiki, who expressed shock at the court action initiated against the legislature by the Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP) regarding the renovation project, said that the dilapidated condition of the National Assembly building required urgent attention.

“What is the outcry for, that they should not renovate the National Assembly, or what? I have said it before, that this issue has nothing to do with the National Assembly. It is all about the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). The building belongs to the FCDA, which built it. The FCDA management knows how much it needs to fix the complex which is in a dilapidated condition,” Akwashiki stated.

He faulted the suit filed by SERAP and some groups against the N37billion earmarked for the renovation of the complex.

“I don’t know why they should take us to court because the National Assembly complex belongs to the FCDA and its management is in charge of its renovation. The only responsibility of the leadership of the National Assembly is to inform the president about the condition of the building which could collapse anytime if not immediately renovated.

‘The president will then ask the owners of the complex to send their technical officers, the architects and structural engineers to investigate the condition of the building. How the team from the FCDA arrived at N37billion is not the business of the National Assembly. It is purely the issue of the FCDA. It is the FCDA that will award the contracts.”

According to the Senate spokesman, “a single naira from the N37billion will not come to the National Assembly accounts, everything is going straight to the FCDA. In the past 20 years, the structure has not been renovated. I don’t know why we are being dragged to court.

“Anybody who wants reaction to why the Federal Government budgeted N37billion for the renovation should direct all enquiries to the FCDA. It is the FCDA that would award all the contracts and also carry out necessary supervision.”

He said the leadership of the National Assembly would, however, not be opposed to the suggestion of piecemeal renovation of the National Assembly building so that the budget would not be too much for a year.

“Based on the outcry that the issue has generated, it is possible for the National Assembly to suggest that the renovation be done in phases over a period of time. If Nigerians who voted us to office prefer that we spread the amount into subsequent budgets, it could be done. The leadership of the National Assembly and the management of the FCDA could consider such a possibility and execute the project in phases. We could start from the two chambers, which are terribly dilapidated at the moment.

“We have no role to play in the project at all. We only approved it like others contained in the 2020 budget, which is our responsibility.”