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Barring any last-minute changes, senators and members of the House of Representatives will resume sitting in their main chambers on April 23, which is next week.
The development comes about 19 months after the chambers were shut in September 2022 for major renovations, a job awarded to Visible Construction Company Nigeria Limited by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
Between then and now, the lawmakers have been operating from two big halls at both wings of the National Assembly, which they converted into temporary chambers.
Both chambers, in separate statements, had confirmed the reopening of the chambers in the week ahead.
House spokesman, Hon, Akin Rotimi, had in a message to his colleagues earlier, explained that the planned return to the main chamber was the reason the initial resumption date after Easter and Sallah was shifted from April 16 to April 23.
He stated, “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.”
The Senate, through its Clerk, Mr Chinedu Akabueze, also made an announcement, shifting the resumption of Plenary by the senators from April 16 to April 23.
Akabueze wrote, ” 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.”
The site engineer, Tajudeen Olanipekun, had early last month informed Senate Correspondents that the two main chambers would be ready for use by lawmakers in April this year.
Olanipekun’s assurance came soon after the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, asked the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Sani Magaji Tambawal, to ensure that both chambers were ready for use by senators and members of the House of Representatives latest by March 31.
It was learnt that in compliance with the directive, the contractor, in the last five weeks, had completed the required finishings on the upgraded and reconfigured hallowed chambers fitted with modern equipment for ease of legislative duties.
A visit to the area shows that the entire ambience of the space in and around the chambers has been transformed, just as barricades used to restrict movements at the foyer, have been removed.
Recall that the FCDA had in March 2021, awarded N37 billion contracts for the rehabilitation of critical segments of the National Assembly complex, the construction of the Library, and the permanent site for the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
