Ndume Criticises Renovation Of Senate Chamber

The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has frowned upon the renovation work done in the Chamber, describing it as a poor job.

Under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules, Ndume, who described the Chamber as a conference hall, raised other issues bordering on alleged inadequacies like poor sound system, evident in the echoes, poor sitting arrangements, lack of provision of voting devices, amongst others.

He said, “Since day one, precisely last week Tuesday, when we moved into this Chamber that supposed to have been renovated, there have been complaints here and there.”

In response, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, however, explained that complaints on sitting arrangements among Senators have been sorted out 99.9% just as he reminded him that contract for the renovation work was not done by the 10th National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Senate has passed for second reading a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Revenue, Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, Cap R7, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Revenue, Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to grant the Commission enforcement powers in the monitoring of accruals to, and disbursement of revenue from the federation account and bring the act in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 constitution amended.

Although the concurrent was passed, the lawmakers agreed to revisit it after a careful re-assessment of its provisions. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Finance, Appropriations and Economic and Financial Planning to report back in four weeks.