A Locked Legislature, A Booming Tourism Site: Questions Over Akwa Ibom’s Project Priorities

By NINI NDUONOFIT-AKOH

The Promise of Rehabilitation, the Reality of Delay

FOR nearly nine months, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex has remained largely inactive after lawmakers, legislative staff and other occupants vacated the premises for what was presented as a comprehensive rehabilitation and remodelling project.

The expectation was that the temporary relocation would allow contractors to carry out extensive work and return the legislative arm to a more functional and modern environment within six months.

That timeline has since expired.

Yet, according to the investigation, the complex has shown little visible progress despite budgetary provisions running into billions of naira.

The situation has created an unusual picture at the heart of Uyo. While the premises of one of the state’s three constitutional arms of government remain closed, construction activity has continued on major hospitality and tourism projects located only a short distance away.

The contrast has raised broader questions about public spending, project implementation, institutional priorities and government accountability.

More Than ₦15 Billion in Budgetary Provisions

Budget documents reviewed for the rehabilitation project show that the Akwa Ibom State Government provided ₦2.95 billion for the project in its revised 2025 budget.

A further ₦12.52 billion was allocated in the 2026 budget.

Together, the provisions bring the total budgetary allocation for the rehabilitation and remodelling of the Assembly Complex to ₦15.47 billion.

The 2026 budget also contains another ₦300 million provision under the Ministry of Special Duties for the rehabilitation or repair of equipment at the Assembly Complex.

Whether that amount forms part of the broader rehabilitation programme or represents a separate intervention remains unclear.

The existence of multiple budgetary provisions has therefore added another layer to the questions surrounding the project. Budgetary allocation, however, is not necessarily the same as actual cash release or contractor payment. That distinction makes official clarification particularly important.

What remains evident from the physical condition of the complex, however, is that the project has not been completed within the timeline reportedly presented to lawmakers.

A Six-Month Deadline That Passed

The rehabilitation followed Governor Umo Eno’s earlier expression of concern about the condition of the Assembly Complex.

In October 2025, lawmakers and other occupants were directed to vacate the premises ahead of the commencement of rehabilitation work.

Representatives associated with the contractor reportedly met with the House Services Committee and described the planned intervention as a comprehensive overhaul.

A six-month completion period was reportedly projected.

By April 2026, that deadline had expired.

More than three months later, an August inspection found no substantial construction activity at the site.

Equipment remained within the premises, but workers were reportedly absent.

Parts of the complex where roofing had been removed remained exposed to the weather, while the wider premises appeared largely inactive.

The Assembly’s prolonged displacement has also altered the normal functioning of the legislature.

Lawmakers have held sittings at the Government House, while administrative offices were reportedly relocated to a hotel facility pending completion of the rehabilitation.

What was expected to be a temporary arrangement has therefore continued far beyond the original construction timeline.

Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Funding

According to the report, some lawmakers who spoke anonymously said they had sought explanations from the contractor over the slow pace of work.

The response they reportedly received was that funding difficulties were affecting progress.

Those claims have not been publicly confirmed by the state government or the contractor.

The lawmakers’ concerns nevertheless point to a critical issue in public infrastructure management: whether a project delay results from inadequate funding, delayed releases, procurement complications, changes in scope, contractor capacity or other technical challenges.

Without an official explanation, the public is left to speculate.

The consequences extend beyond an unfinished building.

A state legislature requires an independent and functional institutional environment from which lawmakers can debate legislation, scrutinise public expenditure and perform oversight functions.

The continued relocation of the Assembly to the Government House has therefore attracted concern about the symbolism and practical implications of operating a separate arm of government from premises controlled by the executive.

Questions Over Contractor & Procurement Information

The investigation also identified apparent inconsistencies concerning the identity of the contractor.

One official document reportedly named JDP Construction Nigeria Limited, while signage at the project site identified CLAD Construction Nigeria Limited.

Representatives of CLAD Construction were also reported to have appeared before the House Services Committee in connection with the project.

Such inconsistencies do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing. However, they underline the need for clear public disclosure regarding the contractual structure of the project.

Further questions arise from the reported absence of easily accessible procurement information on the state government’s electronic procurement platform.

For a project involving billions of naira and a major public institution, the availability of information about the contractor, procurement process, project scope, contract value, payments and revised completion schedule would strengthen public confidence.

Transparency is particularly important when a project fails to meet its original delivery deadline.

Nearby, a Different Construction Story

Just a short distance from the Assembly Complex, a sharply different scene was reported.

Workers were active at the Ibom International Hotel, the International Convention Centre and the ARISE Shopping City.

These projects form part of the state government’s broader effort to develop tourism, hospitality and commercial infrastructure.

Budgetary provisions for the projects are substantial.

The Ibom International Hotel received ₦50 billion in the 2025 budget and another ₦11.33 billion in 2026.

The International Convention Centre received ₦70 billion in 2025 and ₦50 billion in 2026.

The ARISE Shopping City received ₦10 billion in 2025 and ₦50 billion in 2026.

Another ₦7.5 billion was approved in 2026 for access and internal road infrastructure around the complex.

The combined budgetary provisions amount to approximately ₦248.83 billion.

Unlike the Assembly Complex, construction workers were reportedly visible at the tourism sites during the August inspection.

The difference in activity has become central to the wider debate over government priorities.

Tourism Ambition & Democratic Infrastructure

The state’s investment in tourism infrastructure is not without a strategic rationale.

Akwa Ibom has for years sought to diversify its economy and develop Uyo as a destination for conferences, hospitality, entertainment and commercial activity.

The revival of previously incomplete components of the Ibom Tropicana project forms part of that ambition.

The planned facilities could potentially support tourism, conferences, private investment and employment if completed and effectively managed.

However, the progress of these projects has intensified questions about the stalled rehabilitation of the Assembly Complex.

The issue is not necessarily whether the state should invest in tourism.

The larger question is whether investment in economic infrastructure should occur alongside timely investment in the institutions required to sustain democratic governance.

A state government can pursue both objectives.

The challenge lies in explaining why one group of projects appears to be progressing while another, involving the permanent home of the legislature, remains unfinished months after its projected completion date.

Revenue, Delivery & Public Expectations

The delay has also occurred during a period of significant public revenue for Akwa Ibom.

According to the investigation, the state received approximately ₦2.53 trillion between May 2023 and December 2025, with subsequent figures placing total revenue during the first 38 months of the administration at about ₦2.934 trillion.

The figures do not automatically mean that all revenue was available for the Assembly rehabilitation, as governments must fund salaries, infrastructure, debt obligations, education, healthcare and other services.

Nevertheless, the scale of public revenue reinforces the demand for a clear explanation of why a project with substantial budgetary provisions has remained incomplete.

A prolonged delay without detailed public communication can weaken confidence in project management.

The Unanswered Question

At the centre of the controversy is a simple question: what happened to the Assembly rehabilitation project?

Was funding delayed?

Were payments to the contractor outstanding?

Did technical or design changes alter the scope?

Was the original six-month deadline unrealistic?

Or were there procurement and contractual challenges that slowed implementation?

The answers lie with the government agencies and officials responsible for supervising the project.

The investigation reported that several officials contacted for explanations did not provide substantive responses, while the contractor was also unavailable for comment.

Until a comprehensive explanation is provided, the contrast will remain difficult to ignore.

One side of the Uyo project landscape shows workers racing towards completion of multi-billion-naira tourism facilities.

The other contains the locked permanent headquarters of the state’s legislature, with its rehabilitation still unfinished months after the promised completion period.

For Akwa Ibom, the issue is no longer simply about an incomplete building. It is about transparency, project management and the balance between economic ambition and the institutions that sustain democratic governance.