Akpabio warns of legal action over faulty N’Assembly chamber audio system

Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, has threatened legal action against the contractor that renovated the National Assembly’s permanent chambers following recurring failures of the microphone system in the Senate.

The Senate President issued the warning during Wednesday’s plenary after several microphones malfunctioned, producing echoes and disrupting proceedings.

Akpabio disclosed that the defective sound system had also caused an embarrassing moment for him and Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, during the opening ceremony of the National Assembly Week held in the House chamber on Tuesday.

“Distinguished colleagues, I hope you are taking note of the fact that our microphones are not working well, because we are going to take action.

“I was at the house of representatives yesterday to represent you at the opening of their National Assembly Week, and in the course of it, myself and the speaker were thoroughly embarrassed.

“The same contractor that handled the renovation of the house of representatives handled this one.”

He added, “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.

He urged senators to observe the persistent technical glitches, saying their firsthand experience would justify any decision taken against 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 actions. We are all witnessing what is going on now.”

Concerns over the quality of work carried out on the National Assembly complex have lingered since lawmakers returned to the renovated chambers in 2024.

On May 7, 2024, Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, criticised the standard of the rehabilitation, arguing that the outcome did not reflect the huge amount spent on the project.

The National Assembly complex, which is maintained by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), underwent rehabilitation for over two years, forcing both chambers to hold plenary sessions in temporary facilities within the complex.