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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Senators, members of the House of Representatives and senior staff of the National Assembly, have expressed worry over the poor security arrangements in the expansive facility, housing the two chambers of the parliament.
The lawmakers noted that growing insecurity in the country, especially in the North, has placed the National Assembly in a precarious position, which needs urgent attention from the leaders and management.
According to them, the refusal by the National Assembly management and the leadership, to install car and body scanners, puts their lives in danger and at the mercy of criminals.
An independent investigation carried out by Sunday Sun revealed that the two key entrances leading to the complex are manned by unarmed security agents, who seldom check vehicles of lawmakers, staff and visitors, before they are permitted to drive in.
During each sitting day, over 1,000 vehicles are housed in the various parking lots of the National Assembly.
Unlike in the other major parliaments within the West Africa sub-region, Nigeria’s National Assembly, more than 20 years after the commencement of the Fourth Republic, has failed to install security gadgets to checkmate criminal elements.
At the entrance leading to the two chambers, popularly called ‘The White House’, there is no single body scanner.
Lawmakers and others come in freely without any body scan. Only bags are searched.
Other unaccredited urchins and petty traders, who harass lawmakers for money at the various parking lots also gain access to offices without proper vetting.
The management has also refused to install security cameras around the perimeter fence, to monitor activities of criminals and invaders.
In the two chambers, lawmakers often complain of poor air-conditioning and sound systems. They’ve had to adjourn in many instances as a result of unbearable heatwave and faulty sound system.
With the rains expected to be unpredictable this year, the two chambers are expected to be heavily flooded when there is a downpour.
The leaking roof, which caused a national embarrassment last year when it caved in during plenary, may likely happen again.
Remedial work is yet to start on the facility as promised by the management and leadership of the National Assembly.
The restrooms located around the two chambers, often emit offensive odours, that have sometimes forced the House of Representatives to adjourn plenary.
The flushers in the restrooms have since stopped working. The doors are also bad, forcing users to repeatedly shout over the roof, informing other intending users to hold on.
The tiles on the walls of the restrooms, have also caved in, with the doors badly damaged. The hand washers are bad and leaking.
The most glaring are the non-functional elevators, especially in the Senate wing of the National Assembly.
The few functional ones can’t handle the high volume of people who troop into the complex everyday.
In 2020, about N39 billion was approved by the National Assembly for the upgrade and repairs of the complex, which was constructed over 20 years ago.
The humongous approval, caused a nationwide outcry, forcing the National Assembly to retreat.
In 2021, a modest sum was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, with a promise that the Federal Capital Development Authority ((FCDA) will commence work immediately.
As at the time of filing in this report, remedial work was yet to commence.
Whereas the National Assembly management is funding the construction of a multi-million naira library within the complex at a time when urgent remedial work is needed to fix basic amenities.
Director of Information, National Assembly, Mr. Rawlings Agada, in a chat with Sunday Sun, said that the management is aware and will soon address the various challenges facing it.
“Management is aware and efforts are in top gear to address the various issues raised,” he explained.
