By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
The Government’s building housing the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) under renovation is nearing its finishing stage of refurbishment in two months times making it ready for the lawmakers to conduct their sessions.
Speaker of the august House, Rt. Hon. Nunu Jemma Kumba revealed the development while addressing the lawmakers at the reopening of the parliament on Monday,
“The main parliament building is nearing the end of its refurbishment,” said Nunu.
“The contractor has already shipped the furniture for the building, and this is expected to arrive Juba shortly,” she added.
Nunu further disclosed that the contractor pledged to hand over the building within the coming two months subject to the payment by the government.
She said the construction works of the gate and security offices as well as the restaurant are completed and the buildings are ready for use as well as work on the adjacent office blocks for the women caucus and that for chairpersons and deputies is in its final stages.
Speaker Nunu also said that other office block for MPs, which was started before independence will resume once construction and renovation works are completed. And a new rub hall is being erected within the premises of the parliament to house joint sitting of the legislature to avoid interruption of the parliamentary business at the Freedom Hall.
The current parliament building can not hold the 650 MPs of the TNLA which needs to gear efforts to renovate and expand the offices of the council pf states to provide a conducive working environment to the leadership and members.
The renovation started since 2019 and stalled due to some contractual disagreements. It has been more than three years after the government moved parliamentary sessions to the privately owned Freedom Hall in Juba.