By Ayo Yusuf
There was mild drama in the Senate on Monday as the sitting turned rowdy during the ministerial screening of the former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN.
Problem began when Senator Darlington Nwokocha, representing Abia Central senatorial district, moved a point of order to suspend the screening of Mr Keyamo over issues relating to his previous tenure as a minister of the federal republic.
Senator Nwokocha said Mr. Keyamo, as the second minister of Labour, supervised 774,000 jobs, in a manner which was not satisfactory to the 9th Senate.
The senator asked Keyamo to prepare himself to defend how some local government areas were not beneficiaries of the scheme under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also accused Mr. Keyamo of making some unpalatable statements against the National Assembly when he was invited to the House of Representatives during Buhari’s administration.
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South senatorial district, seconded the motion on the floor of the Senate.
However, when the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio called for the adoption of the motion, there was a rowdy session as senators were chanting “nay” over those who said “aye”. The Senate subsequently went into executive session.
I had lost hope
Earlier Mr Keyamo had told the senate that he was grateful for President Bola Tinubu for nominating him, because he had lost hope of becoming a minister after the first batch of the ministerial nominees was submitted.
He said he had already packed his luggage and was about going on vacation with his family before he heard of his appointment.
Keyamo said that being nominated was just by the grace of God and the special benevolence of President Bola Tinubu.
His words: “My being here is by the grace of God and by the special benevolence of President Bola Tinubu.
“I had already packed my bags for vacation with my family before I heard about my nomination as a minister. So I am happy to be here today”.
