For nine months, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex has remained mostly idle after lawmakers and staff vacated the premises for a rehabilitation project that has had little progress despite billions of naira allocated.
But a few metres away, construction workers are busy on three hospitality projects that the state government is funding with a combined budgetary provision of N248.83 billion.
The contrasting scenes were observed by PREMIUM TIMES on 7 August during a visit to the assembly complex and the adjoining Ibom International Hotel, International Convention Centre and At the assembly complex, there was no construction activity. The mobile crane and concrete mixer that PREMIUM TIMES saw during an earlier visit in June were still on the premises, but no workers were operating them.
The complex remains substantially in the same condition as reported by PREMIUM TIMES in June, when the newspaper found scant evidence of substantial work more than seven months after the lawmakers vacated the premises.
The contrast is conspicuous because the assembly rehabilitation is not an abandoned project for which no money has been budgeted.
Budget documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show that the state government provided N2.95 billion for the project in its revised 2025 budget and a further N12.52 billion in the 2026 budget, bringing the total allocation for the rehabilitation and remodelling of the complex to N15.47 billion.
Nine months, little visible progress
Governor Umo Eno first publicly expressed concern about the condition of the assembly complex on 1 July 2024 during a visit, promising to ensure its rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation eventually moved from promise to implementation after over a year.
In a circular dated 24 October 2025, the Clerk of the House, NsikakAbasi Orok, directed lawmakers, staff, and other occupants to vacate the complex ahead of the commencement of rehabilitation on 27 October.
Before the relocation, representatives of the contractor met with members of the House Services Committee to discuss the project.
According to reports of that meeting reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, the contractor’s representative, Ochemba Lee, described the project as a comprehensive overhaul and said the contractor had already been mobilised and equipment deployed to the site.
He gave a six-month completion timeline – that deadline expired in April 2026.
Yet, over three months after the deadline, the work remains unfinished, and the lawmakers continue to conduct plenary sessions at the Government House.
PREMIUM TIMES’ latest visit found the section of the complex where the roof had been removed still exposed to the elements. The walls of the roofless section are now showing effects of exposure to the vagaries of weather.
The football field within the assembly premises, which should ordinarily form part of the environment of a functioning legislature, was being used for a football match by some youth when our reporter visited the place.
PREMIUM TIMES has also observed in recent weeks that the field is increasingly being used for football training and matches.
Security personnel were present within the premises, but no construction workers were seen.
When PREMIUM TIMES asked one of the security personnel whether any construction work had taken place between the newspaper’s June visit and 7 August, he responded in Pidgin English:
“Roads weh don spoil finish across the state, dem never even fix them, na House of Assembly them wan complete? Them no do any single work for here o. Everything here na status quo ante bullum.”
This newspaper could not independently verify the security official’s account, but a close inspection of the premises and the assembly structures revealed no additional work beyond what was observed during the visit in June.
Lawmakers blame funding
Two members of the House of Assembly contacted by PREMIUM TIMES said they had engaged the contractor informally about the delay but were repeatedly told that funding was the problem.
One of the lawmakers described the situation as embarrassing.
“We have been thoroughly embarrassed that an arm of government has been under lock for over nine months, yet the governor has not acted as if it is important,” the lawmaker said.
The lawmaker added, “After 7 July, have you seen us hold any plenary? The report of the local government tour was to be submitted, and we were to consider nine new executive health bills. But we have postponed plenary from time to time because we are not happy with how we have been treated.”
Another lawmaker expressed concern that the situation could persist as campaigns for the 2027 elections begin.
“At this point, that election is around the corner, we are at the mercy of the governor. No one will be ready to confront him over it. You want us to lose our election? Since we are yet to get our financial autonomy, that is the democracy we find ourselves in,” the lawmaker said.
PREMIUM TIMES is not naming the lawmakers because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, and revealing their identities could lead to victimisation from the governor and the leadership of the state assembly.
The assembly now holds plenary at the Government House, effectively making what was presented as a temporary arrangement a prolonged substitute for the legislature’s permanent premises.
However, the lawmakers have not held plenary since 7 July,
The continued use of the Government House for the lawmakers’ sittings also raises questions about the cost of maintaining the assembly and its administrative machinery away from their permanent headquarters.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Assembly Service Commission had relocated their offices to Luton Park Hotel, Uyo, pending completion of the rehabilitation. The government did not disclose the cost of the temporary arrangement.
Contractor questions unresolved
Questions also remain regarding the contractor handling the project. PREMIUM TIMES’ earlier investigation found discrepancies in the identity of the contractor.
A relocation circular identified JDP Construction Nigeria Limited as the contractor, while project signage at the assembly complex identified CLAD Construction Nigeria Limited. Representatives of CLAD Construction also appeared before the House Services Committee to brief lawmakers on the project.
The newspaper’s earlier investigation found that CLAD Construction Nigeria Limited was incorporated on 7 December 2024, less than a year before the assembly rehabilitation project commenced.
PREMIUM TIMES also found no procurement information relating to the assembly rehabilitation project on the state’s electronic procurement portal, despite provisions of the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Law requiring procurement information to be routinely published.
The questions surrounding the project have expanded beyond construction delays to include the contractor’s identity and capacity, procurement procedures, payments made, project scope, and funding.
N300m appears under another ministry
Further examination of the state’s 2026 budget also raises another question about expenditure relating to the rehabilitation of the assembly complex.
Apart from the N12.52 billion allocated under the assembly’s budget for rehabilitation and remodelling, the Ministry of Special Duties has a separate N300 million provision for “Rehabilitation/Repairs of equipment at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex.”
It is not immediately clear whether the N300 million is connected to the main rehabilitation project or constitutes a separate intervention. The government has not explained the relationship between these two budget provisions.
That distinction stands out because the assembly rehabilitation has already attracted N15.47 billion in budgetary provisions across 2025 and 2026.
Hospitality projects prioritised
The stalled assembly project contrasts with construction activities at the nearby tourism and hospitality complex.
During PREMIUM TIMES’ 7 August visit, workers were seen at the 14-storey Ibom International Hotel, the International Convention Centre and the ARISE Shopping City.
The hotel project appeared to have made significant progress.
Workers at the site told PREMIUM TIMES that construction had continued day and night as they raced to meet a September commissioning deadline set by the governor.
They said work inside the hotel had reached the fittings stage, while external works were approaching completion.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify workers’ assessment of the project’s completion level since the newspaper could not access the hotel building.
At the International Convention Centre, construction activity was less advanced compared with the hotel project, but workers were present.
Work was also ongoing at the ARISE Shopping City.
The three projects are part of the administration’s strategy to build what it describes as a tourism ecosystem in Uyo.
The state government says the ecosystem will include the 5,000-capacity International Convention Centre, the 200-room Ibom Hotel, ARISE Shopping City and other tourism facilities.
Governor Eno flagged off the reconstruction of the Ibom International Convention Centre and Ibom Hotel in May 2025, saying the facilities were among projects intended to prepare the state for economic growth beyond oil.
The governor said the hotel would have 200 rooms and that the convention centre would provide a 5,000-seat facility.
N248.83bn tourism fund
Budget documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show that the three projects have attracted a combined N248.83 billion in budgetary provisions across 2025 and 2026.
The Ibom International Hotel received an approved budget of N50 billion in the 2025 budget and a further N11.33 billion in 2026.
The International Convention Centre received N70 billion in 2025 and N50 billion in 2026.
The ARISE Shopping City received N10 billion in 2025 and N50 billion in 2026.
The government also approved N7.5 billion in 2026 for the construction of a new access road and gatehouse into the Ibom Tropicana complex, and the completion of internal roads within the area.
Together, the budgetary provisions amount to N248.83 billion.
The scale of the funding is noteworthy because the projects are being developed on the same large property that once housed the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre project initiated by former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration.
The Tropicana project, commenced in 2008, was designed to include a 14-storey, 258-room five-star hotel, a 5,000-seat convention centre, a shopping mall, a cinema, and a theme park.
The Akpabio administration initially said the project would cost N33 billion, but people familiar with the project later told PREMIUM TIMES in 2018 that its estimated cost had risen to about N120 billion. PREMIUM TIMES subsequently described the project as a white elephant after years of limited progress.
Governor Eno has since sought to revive and redesign parts of the facility as part of his administration’s tourism strategy.
In June 2024, the state government said Mr Eno had ordered the reclamation of parts of the 82-hectare property acquired for the Tropicana project as he moved to complete the abandoned components.
Question of priorities
The contrast between the assembly project and the tourism-related ones presents a question of priorities.
The Akwa Ibom State Government is investing hundreds of billions of naira in tourism infrastructure, including facilities that have remained incomplete for years, while the permanent premises of the state’s legislative arm have been shut for nine months after lawmakers and assembly staff were asked to leave for rehabilitation.
This has birthed an unanswered question on why a project intended to restore the premises of a constitutional arm of government has failed to progress despite a six-month completion promise and more than N15 billion in budgetary provisions.
The Akwa Ibom State Government’s publications have repeatedly highlighted the importance of timely project delivery.
During a recent inspection of the Uyo tourism projects, the governor said his administration would ensure that reports on project implementation matched what was physically on the ground.
That principle now raises a difficult question over the assembly complex: what explains the difference between projects where workers are visibly racing against deadlines and a legislative complex where equipment remains idle months after the promised completion date?
Government silent
PREMIUM TIMES sought answers from officials responsible for the assembly rehabilitation.
This newspaper contacted the Head of Operations of the Direct Labour Committee, Morgan Ekanem, but he declined to comment. He also did not respond to a media enquiry sent through WhatsApp.
The Secretary of the committee, Sylvester Edem, was also contacted by telephone.
After the reporter introduced himself and the purpose of the call, Mr Edem said, “Please, I will call back.”
He did not return the call, and subsequent calls went unanswered. A media enquiry sent via WhatsApp was also unanswered.
PREMIUM TIMES also contacted the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, and the Commissioner for Finance, Emem Bob, who also supervises the Ministry of Special Duties. Neither of them responded to calls or media enquiries sent through WhatsApp.
CLAD Construction could not be reached for comment. The company does not have a publicly accessible telephone number, and it was not available at the office location it lists on Atiku Abubakar Avenue in Uyo.
The government was specifically asked why the assembly project had remained unfinished nine months after commencement, when the Direct Labour Committee first realised that the six-month completion timeline would not be met, whether the delay was caused by funding, procurement, materials, changes in scope or technical challenges, and what the current completion date was.
Revenue versus delivery
The delay is occurring against the backdrop of a sharp increase in Akwa Ibom’s public revenue under Mr Eno.
A PREMIUM TIMES analysis of official financial records found that Akwa Ibom received N2.53 trillion between May 2023 and December 2025, during the first 32 months of the Eno administration. The amount exceeded the state’s total revenue recorded during the eight-year administration of former Governor Udom Emmanuel.
The state’s revenue continued to rise afterwards.
READ ALSO: Eno’s aide warns Akpabio’s ally to stop ‘insulting’ former Akwa Ibom governor
PREMIUM TIMES’ subsequent analysis put the administration’s revenue at N2.934 trillion in 38 months.
The availability of substantial public revenue makes the prolonged delay at the assembly complex more difficult to explain without a clear account from the government.
The coordinator of Peace Point Development Foundation, Umo Isuaikoh, when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, said, “The prolonged closure of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex raises serious questions about the state government’s commitment to the effective functioning of democratic institutions.”
He said shutting the complex for nine months while lawmakers hold plenary at the Government House risks turning what was meant to be a temporary arrangement into a permanent substitute.
“The legislature is not simply another government office that can operate indefinitely from an alternative location,” he said.
According to him, the assembly complex is a public institution built with taxpayers’ money and intended to provide an appropriate environment for lawmakers to deliberate, scrutinise government policies and exercise their constitutional responsibilities.
He said the state government should publicly disclose the status of the project, the amount committed, the contractor responsible, the original completion timeline and the reason for the delay.
“Public institutions must be functional, accessible and accountable, and the people deserve to know why a project involving such a critical arm of government has remained unfinished for nine months,” Mr Isuaikoh said.
For now, the Assembly remains locked, plenary has failed to hold for over a month, with lawmakers expected to continue to sit at the Government House at resumption, and the equipment deployed to the complex sits idle.
Just metres away, workers are racing to complete projects worth N248.83 billion. For a government that has received N2.934 trillion in revenue in 38 months, the question moves beyond why the assembly rehabilitation is delayed. The questions on many lips are why, after nine months, an institution at the heart of the state’s democracy remains stranded while other projects move ahead and why the government has yet to give citizens a clear account of what happened to a project promised to be completed in six months?
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