The construction firm, Visible Construction Limited, in charge of the renovation of the National Assembly, says the complex’s roof is still leaking because repair work is ongoing.
Tajudeen Olanipekun, the project engineer, said that all of the complex’s roofs had been inspected and that specialised chemicals will be applied to the affected expansion joints to prevent leakage.
Recall that the lobby of the National Assembly was flooded in June 2021 as a result of the leaky roof which houses the two chambers.
The incident, described as a “national embarrassment” by some critics, sparked widespread outrage.
According to lawmakers in the 9th National Assembly, the incident confirmed their position that the building needed to be renovated.
READ ALSO: FG Laments Nigeria’s VAT Performance As West Africa’s Lowest
As a result of the complex’s deterioration over time, the 9th National Assembly appropriated N30 billion to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for comprehensive renovation in the fiscal year 2021.
Visible Construction Limited, which won the contract, planned to begin construction in April 2022.
However, a year later, the roof of the National Assembly still leaks, raising concerns among staff and users about the edifice’s condition despite billions spent on renovation.
Olanipekun, told reporters on Wednesday that, “the report on roof leakage in National Assembly to us at Visible Construction is like marking script of a student still writing his or her examination.
“Renovation work on the entire complex is still being carried out. It is when we have finished the work that report on roof leakage can be written which to us would never happen as the problem would be thing of the past by the time it is handed over to FCDA that gave us the job.
“There should be no cause for alarm from any quarters as regards the project since Engineers from FCDA are also with us.”