The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has criticized the renovation work carried out in the Chamber, labeling it as substandard.
Invoking Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules, Ndume likened the Chamber to a conference hall and highlighted several deficiencies. He pointed out issues such as a poor sound system that resulted in echoes, inadequate seating arrangements, and the absence of voting devices, among other concerns.
He said, “Since day one, precisely last week Tuesday, when we moved into this Chamber that supposed to have been renovated, there have been complaints here and there.”
In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio addressed the issues, noting that concerns regarding seating arrangements among Senators have been 99.9% resolved. He also reminded that the contract for the renovation work was not undertaken by the 10th National Assembly.
In other legislative developments, the Senate has advanced a bill aimed at repealing and replacing the Revenue, Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, Cap R7, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The proposed legislation seeks to enhance the Commission’s enforcement powers in monitoring accruals to, and disbursements from, the federation account and to align the act with the provisions of the amended 1999 constitution.
Although the bill passed the second reading, lawmakers agreed to revisit it following a thorough reassessment of its provisions. The bill has now been referred to the Committee on Finance, Appropriations, and Economic and Financial Planning, which is expected to report back in four weeks.
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