Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, has hailed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and President Bola Tinubu over the construction of a new anex office for the electoral body.
Yakubu spoke on the occassion of the ground breaking ceremony of the new Annex Office of the Commission located located at Zambezi Crescent, Abuja on Tuesday.
The ground breaking ceremony of the INEC Annex Building was performed by President Tinubu. The building would complement the current headquarters of the Commission located in Maitama, Abuja.
Yakubu noted that the commission has been grappling with inadequate office accommodation for a long time, as its present national headquarters is severely congested.
He said, “Every facility is overstretched from offices to meeting rooms for the Commission’s 15 standing Committees and other activities, including regular engagements with stakeholders,” he said.
“General staff meetings always take place outside the Commission. In response, the Commission was compelled to rent two buildings in Wuse Zone II to ease the situation.
“Over the last ten years, we made every effort to alleviate the situation until sometime last year when the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory came to the rescue.
“As the end user of the facility, our technical department submitted the concept of the proposed building which is what the FCT is currently executing.
“The main building opposite the present site shall remain the National Headquarters of the Commission. When completed, the new building will complement the main building.
“At this point, all that remains for me, on behalf of the Commissioners and staff of the Commission, is to thank Your Excellency Mr. President for making it happen and for your personal presence.
“I would also like to appreciate the presence of the Senate President, Rt. Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives. We are similarly appreciative of the Honourable Minister of the FCT for his diligent pursuit of the project as well as the leadership of the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in the National Assembly, leaders of political parties and all stakeholders for their presence and support.”
