The Senate, on Tuesday, dared President Muhammadu Buhari as it rejects the Minister of State for Employment, Labour and Productivity Festus Keyamo from proceeding with recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians, Igbere TV reports.
The upper chamber insisted that it is the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) that is statutorily empowered to carry out the recruitment of 774,000 low skilled Nigerians for the special public works scheme.
Igbere TV reports that the Senate’s position contradicts the President’s stance as he recently gave Keyamo the green light to proceed the recruitment of 774, 000 youths under the Special Public Works Programme.
It could be recalled that the Senate and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Kayamo SAN have been at daggers drawn over who should carry out the recruitment.
Despite meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari last week with a view to resolve the conflict with the executive arm; the Senate on Tuesday refused to shift any grounds on the matter.
The position of the Senate followed a motion by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele representing Ekiti Central asking it to hold the NDE to whom the N52 billion was appropriated to in the 2020 budget accountable for the recruitment exercise.
The Senate further noted that the Ministry of Labour can only supervise NDE and not take over the implementation of the exercise.
This was as the upper legislative chamber also maintained that it will not shy away from exercising its oversight powers to ensure proper utilization of the funds.
In his contribution, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Godiya Akwashiki cited provisions of the 1999 Constitution which empowers the NDE to carry out such projects.
The NDE was established in 1989 and empowered by the National Directorate of Employment Act N0. 24 to design and implement programmes to combat mass unemployment.
