Leaking National Assembly Roof, Flood Sack Reps From Legislative Complex

There was a downpour in Abuja, the Nigeria capital on Tuesday morning, leaving several parts of the National Assembly Complex flooded.

The central lobby at the ‘White House’ section of the building, which joined the Senate with the House of Representatives chamber, was flooded.

Other affected areas included the third and last gate of the building, the road linking the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to the National Assembly were all flooded.

On Tuesday, the Senate resumed plenary while the House of Representatives is to resume on June 28, 2021, as the National Assembly returned from a mid-term break.

At the lobby, workers of the two private firms engaged for cleaning services at the complex, they were busy mopping the floor as it rained.

Water was seen dropping from several points on the famous green roof, while some senators watched as the workers struggled to keep the floor dry.

At the House, legislative activities were delayed due to the downpour as several committees which had scheduled their meetings and hearings for this morning were forced to delay the events. Several workers and guests were said to have been trapped in their vehicles.

For instance, the House Committee on Disabilities, which was to begin an investigative hearing on ‘The Need to Investigate the Alleged Violation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Private Airline Operators’ at 11 am had to commence the event at about 12:15pm.

Also, the House Committees on Communications; Justice; Information and Culture; and National Security and Intelligence, which were to hold an investigative hearing on the recent ban placed on Twitter by the Federal Government shifted the event from 10am to 1pm.