Senate President Godswill Akpabio has threatened legal action against the contractor responsible for renovating the National Assembly complex over persistent faulty NASS microphones disrupting proceedings in both the Senate and House of Representatives chambers.
Akpabio issued the warning during Wednesday’s plenary after senators repeatedly encountered malfunctioning microphones while making contributions on the floor of the Senate.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the recurring technical failures, he described the situation as an embarrassment not only to the National Assembly but also to Nigeria. Addressing lawmakers, the Senate President called attention to the malfunctioning equipment and indicated that the legislature was prepared to take action.
“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 disclosed that he experienced a similar situation a day earlier while representing the Senate at the opening ceremony of the National Assembly Week hosted by the House of Representatives. According to him, both legislative chambers underwent renovation by the same contractor, making the recurring technical issues even more concerning. He noted that the malfunctioning audio systems disrupted activities in both chambers and reflected poorly on the legislature.
“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 stated.
The Senate President warned that the National Assembly would consider legal options if the contractor failed to correct the defects responsible for the faulty NASS microphones. He stressed that the legislature expected quality work and would not hesitate to enforce contractual obligations if the technical problems persisted.
“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 said.
Akpabio also asked senators to pay close attention to the repeated equipment failures, explaining that any future legal or administrative action against the contractor would be based on the recurring incidents witnessed during plenary. He added that lawmakers should remember the challenges currently affecting proceedings should questions arise after the National Assembly decides to act.
“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 said. The repeated faulty NASS microphones have renewed concerns over the quality of renovation work carried out at the National Assembly complex, with lawmakers insisting that contractors must be held accountable for projects that fail to meet expected standards.
