N30b NASS renovation contract: Senate decries low pace of work

The Senate at the weekend expressed disaffection over the low pace of work at the National Assembly ( NASS), complex.

The Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, therefore, gave the contractor handling the N30billion renovation contract, Visible Concept, to complete the project as scheduled.

Senator representing Kogi West and Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Smart Adeyemi who led his team on oversight of the complex noted that the pace of work revealed that the construction firm would not meet up on the renovation of the two Chambers ahead of the January date.

The Federal Capital Development Authority, (FCDA) had in March this year awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of critical segments of the complex, which included chambers of both legislative houses, the Dome in the White House as well as the construction of the office of National Assembly Service Commission ( NASC) and Library.

Senator Adeyemi said the slow pace of work could frustrate legislative business at the National Assembly.

He said:” This project must not be abandoned in any way. The Hallowed Chambers are expected to be completed and delivered by the end of January 2023.

” But the level of work seen here today is not pointing at that which to us, is a threat to our legislative duties and functions.

“Non – completion of this project at designated times is even a threat to democracy itself because we don’t want the incoming government to inherit it as an abandoned one.

“So, this Committee wants to know challenges confronting the contractors as regards expeditious execution of the projects.”

Engineer Tajudeen Olanipekun, Site Engineer of Visible Concept handling the project who gave August 2023 as the date of project completion assured that his firm would strive to complete both chambers before January. While demanding for more funds in the presence of the Executive Secretary of Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA), Shehu Hadi Ahmad, Engineer Olanipekun attributed his firm demand to fluctuation in foreign exchange.

He said:” We have constraints of foreign exchange which has jerked up the cost of procurement of needed items. The exchange rate is a problem and it has affected the progress of work.”

Irked by his submission, Senator Lekan Mustapha accused the firm of trying to blackmail the government.
“You should have made your procurement on time, you got this contract when Dollar was N350. Stop giving excuses and shifting the burden. You should have procured your items once Mobilisation was paid.

“This job must be completed at the scheduled time. Don’t raise any issue of variation.”

Senator Adeyemi however told the Executive Secretary of FCDA to get in touch with the FCT Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello for more funds for the contractors.

“The Executive Secretary of FCDA and Chief of Staff to the Minister, you have heard the contractor. Please, give them more money for this project because we don’t want to hand over the problem to the incoming government.

“Even if it is bound to be taken from a bank, let it be done for timely completion of the project, please.

“For us in the National Assembly, we want well-transformed Hallowed Chambers to be handed over latest by April 2023 “, he said.

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