Reps push to end FCDA’s control of national assembly infrastructure

The house of representatives is considering a bill seeking to establish the National Assembly Infrastructure and Property Agency.

Currently, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) is responsible for constructing, developing, and maintaining national assembly infrastructure.

The bill aims to transfer the responsibilities from the FCDA to the national assembly.

Speaking during a public hearing on the bill on Monday, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, said the proposed legislation will strengthen the national assembly’s independence by allowing it to manage its infrastructure.

Represented by Ali Isa, the house minority whip, Abbas said the agency will manage the national assembly, including the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, the National Assembly Service Commission and the library.

“Over the years, we have seen the consequences of disjointed management, including delayed repairs, safety concerns and operational inefficiencies,” Abbas said.

“This means we control our premises where they belong, within the institution that uses and maintains them. The aim is to ensure that maintenance, development and preservation are handled with the priority and professionalism they deserve.

“With a dedicated agency, these challenges will be addressed through long-term planning, preventive maintenance schedules and transparent procurement.

“The result will be cost savings, better working conditions and an environment that reflects the dignity of our legislative work.”

Abbas said in the United States, the architect of the Capitol has been managed by the Capitol Complex since the eighteenth century, while the United Kingdom parliament has the Parliamentary Estates Agency, which performs a similar function.

“These examples remind us that a legislature that manages its own facilities stands stronger and more independent,” he said.

Abbas said the proposed agency has the presiding officers of the national assembly, committee chairpersons, the clerk to the national assembly and professionals with relevant expertise, as board members.

Amos Daniel, chairman of the house services committee, said it a “critical anomaly” for the FCDA to manage the construction, development, and maintenance of national assembly infrastructure, stating that it violates the principle of separation of powers.

Daniel Ago, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the agency will play a crucial role in ensuring the effective management and upkeep of the national assembly’s properties, enhancing the legislative body’s overall efficiency and productivity.

“The present practice, where the properties of the national assembly and its agencies are being constructed and maintained by the FCDA, is a clear contravention of the doctrine of separation of powers,” he said.

“This arrangement undermines the independence and autonomy of the legislative arm of government. The passage of this bill becomes pertinent as it will ensure that this arrangement is corrected.

Kamoru Ogunlana, clerk to the national assembly, said the national assembly attempted to renovate the complex but was prevented from doing so by the FCDA.

“Something happened last year. We wanted to renovate our portion of the complex, but the main occupant (FCDA) objected. The contractor could not mobilise to site,” he said. 

“How can we have a parliament without control over its facilities?”

Ogunlana added that it is a “derogation of the concept of separation of powers” for another arm to control the National Assembly Complex.