Senate, Reps set exact date to move into main chambers – Blueprint Newspapers Limited

After 19 months of holding plenaries at Temporary Chambers , both the Senate and the House of Representatives, are moving to their main Hallowed Chambers on Tuesday next week.

Recall that both Houses moved to temporary chambers in September 2022 after commencement of renovation work on their Hallowed Chambers by Visible Construction Company Nigeria Limited in July 2022.

Confirmation on the planned movement to the main chamber , was contained in a written announcement made by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs , Hon Akin Rotimi Jr, to 359 other Honourable members penultimate week .

The House spokesman in the official announcement dated 4th April , 2024, cited the need to resume plenary at the renovated and reconfigured main chamber , as reason for the postponement in line with the general wish of the members.

The Spokesman in the announcement said, “The House of Representatives wishes to inform the public and stakeholders of the rescheduling of the resumption date from the ongoing recess, originally slated for Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

“This adjustment is necessary to accommodate the completion of renovations to the main chamber of the House of Representatives to ensure its readiness for plenary sessions, henceforth.”

Two days after, the Clerk to the Senate, Barrister Chinedu Akabueze, also issued a statement, postponing resumption of Plenary by the Senate from April 16, 2024 to April 23, 2024.

Akabueze ‘s statement reads in part: “Distinguished Senators are hereby invited to note that the resumption of the plenary sitting of the Senate, which was scheduled for Tuesday, 16th April 2024, has been postponed to Tuesday 23rd April 2024” .

Ahead of the projects delivery, the site Engineer of Visible Construction, Tajudeen Olanipekun, had early last month informed journalists covering the Senate, that the two main chambers, would be ready for use by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in April this year.

Engineer Olanipekun’s assurance on delivery of the fully transformed and reconfigured Hallowed Chambers to management of the National Assembly, coincided with call by the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio, to the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambawal that both the Senate and the House of Representatives, want to move to their main chambers as soon as possible after close to two years of using temporary ones.

In carrying out the subtle marching order , the Construction firm in the last five weeks , has carried out the required finishings on
the upgraded and reconfigured hallowed chambers fixed with State – of – art chairs, parliamentary equipments , appliances and extended sitting terraces.

Physically, the entire ambience of the space in and around the Hallowed Chambers have been transformed, just as barricades used to restrict movements at the foyer, have been removed.

The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) had in March 2021, awarded a N37 billion contract to Visible Construction Limited and some other firms for rehabilitation of critical segments of the National Assembly complex, construction of Library, permanent site for the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) etc , which are all almost completed now.

Some of the critical segments awarded to Visible Construction Company for rehabilitation are the buildings housing the office accommodation for the Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, watertightness of the roof of the complex , the cooling system, replacement of lifts that are inoperable in the White House as well as in the House of Representatives and in the new Senate Wing among others.