774,000 Job Sagar; Lawan Relieves Keyamo of the recruitment Exercise

Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate has declared that Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, will not handle the recruitment of 774,0h00 youths into the controversial federal governmemt's Special Public Works scheme.

According to Lawan, in a resolution reached on Monday, the National Directorate of Employment will be fully in charge of the exercise.

He, however, said that the NDE and the Ministry Labour and Productivity must first explain the modalities for the recruitment process.

Lawan stated this during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.

He said, “Only NDE will implement this programme. The NDE led by the ministry of labour will have to come and explain.

“It will be unfair to say that we in the legislature and executive are not on the same page because of an action by someone in the executive.

“What the National Assembly is insisting on is in national interest.”

The National Assembly had last week asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the programme, following a face-off between one of his ministers and the joint panel of the two chambers of the federal parliament.

Recall that the federal lawmakers last Tuesday, walked out Keyamo, following his refusal to apologise after the legislators accused him of raising his voice against them.

The incident happened at an investigative hearing organised by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity.

Members of the joint panel had summoned the Minister and the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Nasiru Argungu, to brief them on steps so far taken to recruit 774,000 across the country.

Keyamo had told the panel how he had set up a 20-member committee in each state to midwife the programme.

Trouble started when lawmakers queried Keyamo for allegedly engaging in lopsided recruitment without the active involvement of the NDE, the agency that got N52bn approval from the National Assembly to implement the programme.

The argument that ensued afterwards, led to a shouting match between both parties which later forced the lawmakers to drive Keyamo out of the meeting.

In May, Keyamo said up to 10 percent slots of the beneficiaries of the programme in each state would be allotted to political office holders “like our distinguished senators, honourable members, ministers and governors”.

But on Monday while inaugurating the committee, the minister said some politicians are trying to blackmail him over the recruitment.