Akpabio Demands Urgent Fix for Senate Chamber’s Audio Problems, Sets Deadline

The Nigerian Senate has given the contractor in charge of renovating its chambers one month to complete the work.
The lawmakers gave the contractors one month to fix the building’s audio communication breakdowns or face consequences.
Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, set the deadline during plenary on Tuesday.
He was visibly enraged after his microphone malfunctioned during proceedings and instructed Senate Services Chairman Sen. Karimi Sunday to immediately liaise with the contractor and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) to ensure that the job was completed to the standards appropriate to Nigeria’s status as one of Africa’s largest parliament.

“We give between now and one month to have a system suitable for this chamber installed or we make further decisions,” he said reporters.

The improvements include the installation of equipment for real-time interpretation of proceedings in different languages, which is consistent with the procedures of other legislative organizations across the world.

He insisted that failure to reach the deadline would force the Senate to take decisive action.

Akpabio has announced that the defense report for the ₦54.2 trillion 2025 budget will be given to the Senate this week during plenary.

According to reports, Akpabio stated that the Committee on Appropriations will present the report on Wednesday or Thursday, highlighting the need of ending the budget debate for 2025.

“You will observe that some of our colleagues are not in the chamber because of the required final touches on the 2025 Appropriation Bill report, which will be laid before us tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday this week,” Akpabio said before the plenary session on Tuesday.

“We need to close early to allow for collective efforts in that direction for final consideration and passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill,” the politician said.

Earlier in the session, the Senate advanced five proposals to first reading. Some examples are:

– 2025 Amendment Bill to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution (1999 as amended).

– The 2025 Amendment to the Armed Forces Act

– The Federal Medical Centres Act Amendment Bill 2025, among others.

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Furthermore, the Senate approved a measure amending the Federal University of Agriculture Act to establish the Federal University of Agriculture in Abak, Akwa Ibom State.

Following the second reading, the bill was forwarded to the Agriculture Committee for further legislative scrutiny. The committee is scheduled to report back in three weeks.