N15.47 Billion Akwa Ibom Assembly Renovation: Seven Months Later, Complex Still Empty, Lawmakers Displaced

On a sunny Thursday afternoon in June in Uyo, silence hung over the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly complex. Only eight security personnel were visible inside the sprawling premises. No labourers, masons, welders, or engineers. No sounds of construction.

A notice at the gate tells visitors that both the Assembly and its Service Commission have temporarily relocated to Luton Park Hotel, Uyo — owned by a former state lawmaker — pending completion of rehabilitation works. That sign has been there for more than seven months.

Budget documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show that between 2025 and 2026, the Akwa Ibom State Government approved a total of N15.47 billion for the rehabilitation and remodelling of the assembly complex. The state is one of Nigeria's richest oil producers, with revenue of N2.53 trillion in 32 months.

The project gained attention after Governor Umo Eno visited the complex on 1 July 2024 and publicly expressed concern about its condition, promising to ensure its rehabilitation.

In the revised 2025 budget, N2.95 billion was provided for architectural design, construction of a multi-purpose hall, reroofing, replacement of ceilings, tiling and painting. Budget documents also show provisions for structural remodelling, decking, new office buildings, library facilities, marble flooring, parking lots, and an electric security perimeter fence — totalling N12.52 billion. Combined with the 2025 provision, the project attracted N15.47 billion within two years.

Before the relocation, the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Services Committee met with the contractor's representative, Ochemba Lee, who described the project as a comprehensive overhaul. He told lawmakers the contractor had been mobilised, equipment deployed, and announced a completion period of six months.

That timeline expired in April 2026. Lawmakers remain displaced.

The prolonged relocation has already triggered political controversy. Lawmakers have been conducting plenary sessions at a facility within the Government House, Uyo. On 2 June, a disagreement between lawmakers and security operatives over access procedures disrupted legislative proceedings and forced the assembly to suspend sitting.

The continued use of Luton Park Hotel as a temporary administrative headquarters is likely attracting significant public expenditure. PREMIUM TIMES requested details of the arrangement, including its cost implications, but received no response before this report was filed.

A visit to the assembly complex on 4 June revealed little visible evidence of ongoing work — raising questions about what the N15.47 billion has bought so far.