Akpabio Threatens Contactors With Legal Action Over Faulty NASS Microphones

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has threatened legal action against the contractor responsible for the renovation of the National Assembly complex following persistent technical faults affecting the microphones in both the Senate and House of Representatives chambers.

Akpabio issued the warning during plenary on Wednesday after several senators encountered difficulties with malfunctioning microphones while making contributions to debates.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the recurring glitches, the Senate President described the situation as an embarrassment to the legislature and the country, insisting that the defects must be addressed.

“Distinguished colleagues, I hope you are taking note of the fact that our microphones are not working well. You are taking note of it because I intend to take action,” he said.

Akpabio recalled that he had experienced a similar situation a day earlier while representing the Senate at the opening ceremony of the National Assembly Open Week in the House of Representatives.

According to him, the same contractor handled the renovation of both the Senate and House chambers.

“I was in the House of Representatives yesterday to represent you at the opening of the National Assembly Week and, in the course of it, the Speaker and I were thoroughly embarrassed. The same contractor that handled the renovation of the House of Representatives handled this one,” he said.

He warned that the National Assembly would not hesitate to pursue legal remedies if the contractor failed to rectify the defects and deliver work that met the required standard.

“If this continues, we have steps we can take legally to ensure that a good job is done because this is an embarrassment to our nation,” Akpabio stated.

The Senate President also urged lawmakers to take note of the repeated technical failures, saying any future action against the contractor would be justified by the incidents witnessed during plenary.

“I hope you are taking note of it so that when they go to social media to start complaining after we have taken action, you will know why we took the action. You are all witnessing what is going on now,” he added.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the National Assembly complex underwent a major renovation project reportedly valued at about ₦60 billion, covering upgrades to the Senate and House chambers as well as other facilities. However, the recurring technical issues have raised concerns over the quality of work executed despite the huge public investment.