FG Snubs Senate Directive, Backs Keyamo

Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, will continue to supervise the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians for the special public works programme.

Speaking with The Punch on Wednesday, Charles Akpan, deputy director, press and public relations for the ministry of labour, said Keyamo is still in charge of the recruitment exercise.

He said nothing has changed since Buhari gave the go-ahead.

Akpan said the exercise would be supervised by Keyamo, under whose office the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) operates.

He said: “The special works programme is with the NDE, but our ministry is the supervising ministry for NDE and because of that, we monitor their activities and the ministry of labour was given the responsibility to handle that assignment, and it is under the supervision of the minister of state.

“So, whatever the directorate does, it would report to the minister of state; so nothing has changed.”

Naija News recalls that lawmakers had suspended the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians following the disagreement between its committee on Labour and Kayamo.

The committee in its statement accused the Minister of hijacking the recruitment exercise from the National Directorate of Employment, which got N52bn approval to carry out the programme.

Keyamo, however, stood against the decision of the Senate and announced last Tuesday that the President has given him the approval to proceed with the recruitment process.

The development saw the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, meet with President Buhari last Thursday.

After an emergency session of Tuesday, the Senate ordered NDE to take over the recruitment from Keyamo.