The House of Representatives is poised to reconvene at the main chambers following indications during its Easter and Sallah break, amidst ongoing renovations impacting the Senate chamber and other parts of the National Assembly building.
According to a memo from the Clerk, Dr. Yahaya DanZaria, the resumption date has been postponed from Tuesday, April 16 to Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The memo, obtained by The Nation, stated, “Dear honourable members, I write to respectfully inform you that the resumption date from the ongoing recess has been rescheduled from Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to Tuesday, April 23, 2024. All inconveniences are highly regretted. Your understanding or cooperation regarding this change is highly appreciated. Please make necessary adjustments to your schedules and ensure your presence on the new resumption date. I wish you all productive constituency engagements during this extended recess period. Please stay safe and take all necessary precautions.”
The National Assembly complex has been grappling with renovation challenges since 2022, leading to the use of a makeshift chamber by members. This delay comes amidst ongoing criticism and scrutiny over the renovation costs, initially budgeted at over N30 billion in 2019 but later reviewed to N9 billion.
The renovations were prompted by perennial issues such as flooding during heavy rainfall, which plagued the complex before the renovation works began. Now, as the Assembly gears up to reconvene, all eyes are on the progress and impact of these renovations on legislative activities.
