The management of the National Assembly (NASS) has suspended the resumption of the plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 to September 29.
The National Assembly had embarked on annual recess on 23rd and was scheduled to resume on Tuesday, September.
However, the resumption was suspended in a statement signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Amos Ojo-Olatunde Amos Friday night.
The statement sighted by Correspondent reads: “This is to inform all Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly that the resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday 15th September. 2020 is hereby postponed to Tuesday 29th September 2020.
“While assuring you of our high regard and esteemed and esteem. We regret any inconvenience caused by this change of date”.
Though the Clerk in the statement did not explain the reason for the shift in the resumption date BusinessDay reliably learnt that it was to give more time for the renovation of both chambers of the National Assembly.
A Senior Management Staff of the National Assembly confided in BusinessDay that the renovation of both Chambers was ongoing and could not be completed before Tuesday, hence the shift to September 29.
“It has not been too long that they started the renovation of the Chambers. You know the work would not be completed before next week Tuesday that is why both the political and administrative leadership of the National Assembly deemed it necessary to suspend the earlier scheduled resumption”, said the Staff who do not want his name in print.
The whooping sum of N 37 billion was appropriated for the renovation of the National Assembly in the 2020 budget under the Federal Capital Territory Administration National Priority Budget.
But the amount was reduced in the revised 2020 to N9.25 billion due to the impact of Covid-19 on government revenues.
Sequel to the criticisms that greeted the initial appropriation of N 37 billion and the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic that distorted many government activities and projects, the renovation of the National Assembly was put on hold.
