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Senate Speaker Ahmad Lawan called on Nigerians to stop blaming federal lawmakers for the failure to rehabilitate the National Assembly which resulted in its roof leaking following a downpour on Tuesday.
Many Nigerians took to social media immediately after the leaking rooftop report hit media spaces on Tuesday.
Lawan, who spoke in plenary while ruling on a point of order raised on the matter by Senator Sabi Abdullahi on Wednesday, noted that those who blamed lawmakers did so in the dark.
He explained that the Federal Capital Development Authority was responsible for maintaining structures on the premises of the National Assembly.
He said the National Assembly leadership, in the course of 2019, met with the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), on the need to rehabilitate the federal parliament.
He said the president had approved N37 billion for the rehabilitation of the building, but the FCDA had been tasked to do so.
Lawan said: “The fact that there was a leak for me is clear testimony, confirmation and justification of the position initially taken by the National Assembly.
“Everyone knows this place is overdue for rehabilitation. We went to see Mr. President and he was courteous and asked us to meet with FCTA, the owners of the building.
“Myself, the speaker, the late Chief of Staff and Minister of Finance have come together to seek money for the rehabilitation of the National Assembly. When the 37 billion naira was approved, it was not a National Assembly budget, it was an FCDA budget.
“If this place is leaking, we don’t hold our democracy with the respect it has. We expect the press to responsibly inform people
“This house is the home of Nigerians. He belongs to Nigerians and he deserves to be rehabilitated.
Sabi, who is the deputy whip, had said earlier that there was no leak in the room but around the premises.
He said, “It was reported that because of this leak it delayed our session. It was not correct either. Management had housekeeping matters and until management entered the room the meeting could not begin.
“Third and most critically, the management has approved 37 billion naira for rehabilitation. It is nothing further from the truth. “
“When the 9th Senate entered the scene, the management saw the dilapidation and the need to rehabilitate the National Assembly complex.
“The Speaker and Speaker of the Senate approached Mr. Speaker to report this matter and we have all been informed that Mr. Speaker is willing to make sure something is done about it.
“When the pandemic arrived, the N37bn was reduced to N9bn so that we could do the rehabilitation in phases. As we speak, nothing is being done.
Cleaners hired by a facilities company that maintains the National Assembly White House complex struggled to collect water from the federal Parliament on Tuesday.
Federal lawmakers, parliamentary staff, reporters, and visitors to the Supreme Legislature watched helplessly as the rainwater fell uncontrollably from the White House ceiling during heavy rains.
The White House, which houses the two chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, was completed in 1999 under the rule of the late Supreme General, the late General Sani Abacha.
The cleaners, numbering about twenty, were immediately sent to the hall to collect water from the flooded part of the building.
The leaking roof also spread to the press center of the Senate wing of the country’s supreme legislative body and also disrupted staff at private companies, especially banks on the ground floor of the complex. .
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