By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has said all actions taken so far as regards the plan to engage 774,000 citizens in direct jobs are “null and void.”
Lawan said this during a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
At the meeting, Ngige apologised to the Senate President over the outburst of Mr. Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, regarding the recruitment of 774,000 persons.
Last week, Keyamo engaged in a shouting match with some senators and house of representatives members while responding to questions about the recruitment.
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is expected to implement the recruitment under a special works programme.
While the lawmakers had accused Keyamo of hijacking the programme from NDE, the minister hit back, saying they were the ones trying to take over the project.
The legislators later said the programme would remain on hold until details of how it would be implemented are made available to the National Assembly, but Keyamo has maintained that they do not have the powers to do so.
During the meeting Ngige said Keyamo had prepared a position paper on how the programme would be implemented.
“We regret what has happened. I apologise on behalf of the ministry and I hope that the apology will be taken. I therefore ask that you forgive and forget and we start on a new page.
“My minister has put out a position paper. Nothing is sacrosanct there; we can still discuss.” Ngige said.
However, the Senate President maintained that the lawmakers were right to ask for details on how the programme would be implemented.
According to him, the NDE has the capacity to implement the programme.
“You will have our support if the ministry does not go into it,” Lawan said.
