By Ayodele Oni
Members of the House of Representatives who are due to resume from Christmas and New Year holiday, on Tuesday are expected to commence legislative duties in the newly renovated chamber.
The lawmakers have been operating at the temporary chambers since 2022, when the renovation commenced.
The Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, on Monday inspected the renovated chambers of the House ahead of lawmakers’ resumption on Tuesday.
Speaker Abbas inspected the chambers in company with the immediate past Speaker and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.
A statement by Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, stated that Gbajabiamila and Kalu led several principal officers and members of the House on the inspection, which was extended to the newly built National Assembly Library.
Speaker Abbas, who addressed journalists in the chambers, said he was delighted by its new look and the facilities installed in the building.
The Speaker disclosed that the quality of work done had erased the skepticism about the capacity of a local contractor handling the project.
He hailed Gbajabiamila for initiating the renovation project, as well as the construction of the NASS Library and the National Assembly Service Commission Complex.
Gbajabiamila also expressed satisfaction with the work done in the chambers, saying he would have loved the renovation to have been completed before he left the House to take his new appointment.
The Chief of Staff to the President, however, shared the credit with members of the 9th House, whom he said backed him on the projects.
Recall that the White House section of the complex, which houses the House and the Senate chambers, was constructed during the military regime of late General Sani Abacha. Since then, there was no major renovation on the two chambers.
However, during the 9th Assembly, Gbajabiamila initiated the renovation of the House Chambers, which was extended to the Senate chambers.
