By Nathaniel Zacchaeus Abuja

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has raised the alarm over the invasion of the National Assembly complex by hoodlums who lay siege on federal lawmakers.

He said the lawmakers now feel threatened by their presence.

He said as the 10th NASS settles down for legislative activities, hoodlums and people who do not have any business on the premises have invaded the apex legislative institution.

He said the unwanted guests loiter without apparent purpose all over the Senate and the House of Representatives wings.

He said they constitute themselves a nuisance by harassing lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly.

Akpabio spoke when he received in audience members of the National Assembly Service Commission, who paid a courtesy call on him at the NASS complex, in Abuja.

The Senate President’s lamentation came after the remarks by the Chairman of the NASC, Ahmed Kadi Amshi, who presented the challenges faced by the Commission and other issues to him.

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*Says lawmakers losing phones, valuables,

Akpabio said, “We are aware that the entire complex is under renovation. We must also look after the environment. It is not all about the staff, we will like to see a cleaner environment and a secure complex. A lot of Senators have lost their telephones because of the influx of people into the complex.”

He said President Bola Tinubu will in December this year, inaugurate the N30bn worth of different ongoing projects at the National Assembly.

He said, “The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site now due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects which would on completion, be commissioned by President Bola Tinubu in December this year.

“Aside from the general renovation work, part of new edifices being put in place is the permanent office complex of the National Assembly Service Commission and very befitting  Library Complex”, he said.

Although Akpabio did not state the amount of money that had been released to contractors handling the project but the 9th National Assembly, appropriated N30bn to Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for the execution of the project out of which as of March this year, only N9bn was released

Reacting to the issue of staff allowances raised by the Commission’s Chairman, Akpabio said he was aware of enormous resources channeled towards staff comfort, adding that everything was not about the welfare of staff.

He expressed displeasure over the infrastructural decay, filthiness, and insecurity at the complex, the Senate President said there were cases of lawmakers being disposed of their telephones and other valuables by the hoodlums who position themselves at strategic places and in front of offices.

He also raised concern over the infrastructural rot and untidy environment in which the 10th Assembly operates.

Akpabio reiterated the fact that the National Assembly remains the symbol of democracy, stressing that the 10th Senate is poised to make history through legislation.

Earlier, Amshi congratulated the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, saying they were experienced public officers.

He appealed to lawmakers to send the list of their legislative aides for documentation.