Senate President Godswill Akpabio has warned that the National Assembly may institute legal proceedings against the contractor responsible for renovating 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 Wednesday’s plenary after several senators struggled to make contributions because of malfunctioning microphones.
The Senate President expressed displeasure over the recurring technical failures, describing the situation as an embarrassment to the National Assembly and the country.
He lamented that despite the extensive renovation of the legislative chambers, lawmakers continued to experience avoidable disruptions during official proceedings.
He said, “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.”
Akpabio disclosed that he had encountered a similar situation a day earlier while representing the Senate at the opening ceremony of the National Assembly Week organised by the House of Representatives.
According to him, the microphone failures also affected activities in the House chamber, leaving both himself and the Speaker of the House of Representatives visibly embarrassed before guests.
The Senate President stated that the same contractor was responsible for renovating both legislative 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.
Akpabio stressed that the continued technical deficiencies were unacceptable considering the resources invested in the renovation project.
He warned that if the contractor failed to address the defects, the National Assembly would consider pursuing available legal remedies to ensure the work 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 appealed to lawmakers to take note of the repeated equipment failures, explaining that any future action against the contractor would be based on documented evidence witnessed by members during plenary.
He said the legislature would not be deterred by public criticism if it eventually decided to sanction or prosecute the contractor.
“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.
The microphone malfunction repeatedly interrupted proceedings as senators attempted to contribute to debates, with several lawmakers having to adjust or change microphones before they could be heard clearly.
The latest incident has renewed concerns about the quality of renovation work carried out at the National Assembly complex and the need for stricter oversight of public infrastructure projects.
