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Tag: 774000 jobs

  • Why lawmakers couldn’t stop commencement of FG’s 774,000 jobs scheme – Keyamo

    Why lawmakers couldn’t stop commencement of FG’s 774,000 jobs scheme – Keyamo

    The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said that members of the House of Representatives have no powers to halt the Federal Government’s Public Works Programme.

    According to him, only the president can halt the 774,000 jobs scheme which commenced on Tuesday.

    “They were urging Mr President, (look at the resolution, they cannot actually mandate) – to see whether they could halt commencement of the programme, but Mr President had actually directed that we commence the programme. It is only Mr President that can actually say that we should stop implementation of the programme, so on the directive of Mr President, we have actually commenced the programme,” Keyamo said on a monitored Channels Television programme.

    The House of Representatives had last month passed a resolution mandating the minister to stay action on the planned implementation of the scheme.

    The reps had insisted that the programme will not be implemented until a comprehensive list of beneficiaries from the Nigerian directorate of employment is made available.

    But despite the hesitation by both chambers of the National Assembly, the programme has commenced across the country.

    Under the scheme, 774,000 people are expected to be recruited by the Federal Government, with the sum of N52 billion, earmarked in the 2020 budget.

    1,000 persons are to be employed from each of the 774 Local Government Areas in the country, for the programme which is said to be a post-COVID-19 poverty alleviation initiative, approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    No hike in electricity tariff

    Meanwhile,the Minister also explained that has been no increment in electricity tariff. According to him, what was done was to adjust certain bands and to ensure that certain persons who are supposed to be on some bands, are not wrongly put on some other bands.

    “What we agreed to do was to freeze certain bands (we have band A,B,C,D). In the interim, what we did was to adjust certain bands and to ensure that certain persons who were supposed to be on some bands, are not wrongly put on some other bands but there has not been any increase in tariffs,” he said.

    This is contrary to a statement by NERC issued earlier on Tuesday admitting that the rates for service bands A, B, C, D, and E have been “adjusted” by N2 to N4 per kilowatt-hour (KWH).

    According to the agency, the adjustment is in compliance with the provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform (ESPR) Act and Nigeria’s tariff methodology for biannual minor review.

    It also noted that it was aimed at reflecting the partial impact of inflation and movement in forex.

    But Keyamo who is the chairman of the sub-committee mandated to go round the country to interact with stakeholders and the discos to find a cost-effective tariff that Nigerians can pay, maintained that there has been no increase in tariff.

    “We are still in the process of carrying out our assignment, we have not finished and when I saw the story this morning, I consulted members of the team and they said it is not correct. There has been no increase in tariff,” he said on Tuesday.

  • 774,000 jobs: Senate snubs Keyamo, insists NDE must carry out recruitment exercise

    774,000 jobs: Senate snubs Keyamo, insists NDE must carry out recruitment exercise

    The Senate, on Tuesday, 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.

    Recall 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.

    While Keyamo insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari specifically directed him to carry out the recruitment, the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment thinks otherwise.

    According to the Senate panel, the NDE is to anchor the recruitment under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

    However, the Upper Chamber following a motion moved by the Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), insisted that the implementation of the scheme remained under the purview of the NDE.

    The Senate argued that the N52 billion appropriated for the programme was done under the budget of the NDE for implementation.

    It therefore asked the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity to stick to its supervisory role.

    “The appropriation of 52 billion for the 774,000 public works scheme is vested in the NDE and therefore must be implemented accordingly, while acknowledging the supervisory role of Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity,” the Senate said in its resolution.

    Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his closing remarks, said the National Assembly still stands on the fact and the law that NDE is entirely responsible for the implementation of the programme.

    “The ministry has supervisory role and the National Assembly has the oversight function,” Lawan said.

    He assured that the National Assembly would oversight the scheme very closely so that Nigerians benefit.

  • Senate in emergency closed session over FG’s special 774, 000 jobs

    Senate in emergency closed session over FG’s special 774, 000 jobs

    The Senate is currently in an emergency closed session to discuss the proposed recruitment of 774, 000 federal workers.

    The closed session started immediately the red chamber resumed plenary on Tuesday.

    The federal parliament had suspended the Public Works Programme penultimate week following a disagreement between its committee on Labour and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo.

    The lawmakers accused Keyamo of hijacking the recruitment exercise from the National Directorate of Employment, which got N52bn approval to carry out the programme.

    Instead of bowing to the verdict of the legislators, Keyamo told journalists on Tuesday that the lawmakers want to control the programme but President Buhari had asked him to proceed with the recruitment process.

    The development forced the Senate to hold an emergency closed-door session on Wednesday and mandated presiding officers of both chambers of the nation’s parliament to immediately meet with Buhari on the proposed recruitment.

    The development forced the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, secured an appointment for a meeting with Buhari on Thursday where the issue was discussed.

    However, the outcome of the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the presiding officers of the National Assembly last Thursday is expected to be discussed today.

    The Minority Leader of the Upper Chamber, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, had on Friday stated that the Senate would take an official position on the decision by Keyamo to flout its decision on the recruitment of 774, 000 federal workers.

    He said the senators were expecting the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to brief them on the outcome of Thursday’s meeting between the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the President on the issue.

    He had said, “The Senate will take an official position on the issue next Tuesday after listening to the outcome of the meeting between the presiding officers and the President over the matter.

    “We asked our presiding officers to meet with President Buhari over the issue and we have not had plenary since they returned. The Senate President will brief us on Tuesday at plenary and we will make a decision on it.”

  • 774,000 jobs: Keyamo writes NASS Committee, highlights issues at stake before second appearance

    774,000 jobs: Keyamo writes NASS Committee, highlights issues at stake before second appearance

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN has written to the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Labour, Employment and Productivity on issues at stake concerning the Special Public Works programme.

    The programme which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and handed over to Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo (SAN) for coordination was meant to temporarily absorb 774, 000 vulnerable Nigerians affected by the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic.

    By the arrangement, 1, 000 Nigerians who would earn N60,000 each on a monthly basis for three months are expected to be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas, of the country.

    The programme was expected to take off in October this year.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the minister and the lawmakers were last Tuesday involved in a stormy session over the programme which was inconclusive.

    To avoid a repeat, the minister said it was best to intimate the lawkers and the general public of details of the programme.

    Read his letter below:

    774,000 JOBS: KEYAMO PUBLICLY OUTLINES THE ISSUES AT STAKE BEFORE SECOND APPEARANCE AT NASS JOINT COMMITTEE

    Monday, July 6, 2020

    To the Joint Committee of the National Assembly
    on Labour, Employment and Productivity,

    Through:

    The Chairman,
    Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity,

    AND

    The Chairman,
    House of Representatives’ Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity,

    National Assembly Complex,
    Abuja.

    Dear Distinguished Senators and Hon. Members,

    RE: INVITATION TO A JOINT INTERACTIVE MEETING

    Following our inconclusive Interactive Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, I have been informed again of another Interactive Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 7, 2020. I thank you for another opportunity to clarify all the issues regarding the execution of the Extended Special Public Works Programme which is very dear to the heart of Mr. President and millions of Nigerians to whom we are all accountable.

    However, I have decided to make a written submission on issues surrounding the Programme to the Joint Committee ahead of my appearance this time for the following reasons:

    (a) To properly lay before the Joint Committee and the Nigerian people in writing the modus operandi for executing this Programme as it is the responsibility of my office to supervise the preparation and execution of this Programme by the clear directives of Mr. President conveyed on the 6th of May, 2020.

    (b) To help the Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members and the Nigeria people to narrow down the issues at stake before the said interaction.

    (c) To have the opportunity to fully express myself in advance as time and circumstances may not allow me to fully express myself before the Joint Committee. This is because, on Friday, July 3, 2020, in a programme called HARD COPY on Channels Television, the Chairman of the House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Honourable Muhammad Ali Wudil have already publicly accused me of flouting certain unknown rules in arriving at the States’ Selection Committees. Consequently, I may not be able to get a fair hearing from him, especially as he is the one that has been at the forefront of insisting on controlling and dictating the execution of this programme behind the scene. He also made frantic efforts to stop the inauguration of the States’ Selection Committees through series of phone calls to me.

    (d) It is also to avoid a situation where any attempt to fully express myself during the session or to call in aid provisions of the law and the Constitution as the basis of some of my actions so far may be misinterpreted as an affront to the Joint Committee. I would rather express those thoughts here and keep a dignified silence if some of those issues become points of contention again. This is because as a trained lawyer and a member of the Inner Bar (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), and having sworn to uphold the Constitution as a public officer, I would be doing a great disservice to my primary constituency (the legal profession) and to my God-given conscience if I am made to concede issues that I know are constitutionally, legally and morally wrong just to let “things go on”.

    (e) Finally, because the main purpose of your powers of investigation under section 88 of the 1999 Constitution is to “expose corruption, inefficiency and waste”, it is important we lay bare our plans for the Programme publicly. “Exposure”, to my mind, will require a public inquiry, not a private one, if we must
    keep strictly to the provisions of the Constitution. Therefore, my writing in advance will absolve me of any accusation of impertinence as I most respectfully regret to say that I would be unable to say anything outside of these submissions in any closed door session.

    EXTENDED SPECIAL PUBLIC WORKS ACROSS THE 774 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF THE FEDERATION

    INTRODUCTION:

    (1) You will recall that on Monday, 6th of April, 2020, the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning in a Press conference, announced the approval of Mr. President for the extension of this programme to all 36 states and the FCT from October- December, 2020 as a means of mitigating the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

    The Programme is also expected to provide modest stipends for itinerant workers to undertake roads rehabilitation and social housing construction, urban and rural sanitation, health extension and other critical services. Hence, the directive of Mr. President for the NDE to collaborate with other Ministries with rural components in their mandates to work out the modalities for the execution of this Programme.

    BASES FOR MY SUPERVISION OF THE PROGRAMME:

    ​(1a).​By a memo Ref: CAO.143/S.1/T11/8 dated October 18, 2019, and forwarded to all Government functionaries by the ​​​Secretary to the Government of the Federation, I was mandated ​​​by Mr. President to oversee all the activities of the National ​​​​Directorate of Employment.

    ​(1b).​In addition to the above, by a letter, Ref: SH/COS/14/A/1217 ​​​dated 6 May, 2020, Mr. President, once again, approved that I ​​​supervise the preparation and execution of the Special Public ​​​Works Programme domiciled under the N.D.E

    ​(1c).​In addition to the above, Section 6(2) of the National ​​​​Directorate of Employment Act states that, ‘The Director-​​​​General shall, subject to this Act, be the Chief Executive of the ​​​Directorate and shall be responsible to the Minister for the ​​​day-to-day management of the affairs of the Directorate.”

    ​(1d).​It is on the bases of these Presidential and legal mandates that I ​​​supervise this programme. “Supervision”, for all intents and ​​​ purposes, means “direction”, “command”, “administration” and ​​ “control”. In other words, the final buck, in all matters relating to ​ ​ this programme, stops on my table.

    MEETING WITH OTHER MINISTERS:

    (2) In furtherance to the directive of Mr. President, I conveyed a meeting with the following Ministers on Wednesday, 15th of April, 2020:
    (i).​Minister of Works and Housing
    ​(ii)​ Minister of Environment;
    (iii)​ Minister of Water Resources
    (iv)​ Minister of Agriculture
    (v)​ Minister of Transportation
    (vi)​ Minister of Health and,
    (vii)​ Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

    INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE

    (3) At the meeting, it was resolved that an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee be set up with the following mandates:
    (a) Strategize on the implementation framework
    (b) Collate the respective rural programmes for each ministry that ​​ can be implemented under the Extended Special Public Works
    (c) Review the implementation of the Pilot Programme and make ​necessary recommendations
    (d) Recommend appropriate implementation structure
    (e) Recommend appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms ​and
    (f)​Develop an achievable implementation timeline.
    (4) Consequently and in exercise of my powers as Supervising Minister under Section 16 (1) of the NDE Act, I inaugurated a Special Inter-ministerial Committee on the Extended Special Public Works on Wednesday, 29th April, 2020 and appointed the Director-General, NDE to Chair the Committee. Members of the Committee included Directors representing the seven Ministries. (Committee List Attached).
    (5) This Committee sat for some weeks and in their collaborative capacity they proposed a list of projects within their Ministries that may require the intervention of the Extended Special Public Works Programme. Over 3,000 projects and 42,000 Manpower were proposed by them. In a Steering capacity, the Committee also made certain recommendations to me which I accepted substantially. It was this Inter-Ministerial Committee that recommended a 20-member States’ Selection Committee which I substantially accepted.

    20-MEMBER STATES’ SELECTION COMMITTEE

    (6) However, whilst addressing the Press on the 28th of May, 2020, on the progress we have made so far with the Programme. I laid out the composition of the 20-member States’ Selection Committee pursuant to the powers of the Minister under Section 16(1) of the NDE Act as follows:
    (i) A Chairman and Vice-Chairman who shall be indigenes of that ​​State or who are ordinarily resident in that State.
    (ii) The State Co-ordinator of the N.D.E of that State who will be the ​​ Secretary.
    (iii) ​One representative of the Governor of that State.
    (iv) The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria of that ​​ State or his representative/nominee.
    (v) The State Chairman of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic ​ Affairs or his representative/nominee.
    (vi) The State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport ​​​Workers or his representative/nominee.
    (vii) The market woman leader in that State
    (viii) Three persons (one from each Senatorial District) representing ​​ the traditional institutions in that State.
    (ix) Two persons (one male and one female) from each of the ​​​​Senatorial District of the State (that is six persons) representing ​​recognized youth organisations in those States.
    (x) A representative of a prominent Civil Society Organisation of that ​ State.
    (xi) Two persons representing some peculiar interests in those ​​​​States.

    (7) Let me state clearly here that all members of the State Selection Committees are not persons holding any official position in any of the registered political parties. If any of them listed is an official of any political party, then the State Chairman of the Selection Committee of the SPW shall fill that position with another person representing that interest. I stated this in order to make this process as apolitical as possible.

    IS THE 20-MEMBER COMMITTEE A WASTE OF NATIONAL RESOURCES?

    (8) Interestingly, despite the assertion of Hon. Muhammad Wudil on television that the twenty (20) members of the Committees would be a waste of national resources, if he had properly read the budget, he would have discovered that no provision has been made for the members to be paid any kind of personal allowance whatsoever. The only provision made in the budget is for Five Hundred Thousand Naira per State to cover the logistics of the entire Committee which would be used to move around the States, collate the names, buy stationeries and compile the names in printed form in all the Local Government Areas to forward to us in Abuja. Note that it is N500,000 for the entire Committees, not for individual members. If this is not patriotic service, I do not know what is.

    CAN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CIRCUMSCRIBE OR QUESTION THE DISCRETION OF THE MINISTER TO ESTABLISH THESE COMMITTEES?

    (9) My simple answer is NO. Once a person who is given discretionary powers by law exercises that discretion in a particular way, it is impossible to question the exercise of that discretion if it is done within the confines of the law. An example is the power of the President to appoint at least one Minister from each State. As long as the President does not go outside a particular State to pick a Minister for that State, nobody can question his discretion in picking a particular person as Minister from that State. Therefore, even Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution cannot avail the Joint Committee the power to question the discretion of the Minister to constitute Committees for the NDE under Section 16(1) of the NDE Act.

    WHY STATES’ SELECTION COMMITTEES INSTEAD OF ONLINE APPLICATIONS

    (10) The reasons are: (a) the categories of those to be engaged (which are largely unskilled workers) will not have the capacity and access to make online applications. (b) online applications would not ensure that the 1,000 persons to be selected would come from each Local Government Areas as, for example 300 persons may apply online from Lagos State, claiming to be applying to work in Sokoto State. (c) the selection process would be localized and would absolve us in Abuja the responsibility of selecting persons from different States.

    SLOTS TO POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS:

    (11) However, in the spirit of transparency and because of the need to be honest before Nigerians, we have said before that we are not unmindful of the fact that political office holders are also representatives of the people. We cannot also totally ignore them in the selection process. Their Constituents are also Nigerians. What we have tried to resist is A TOTAL TAKEOVER OF THE PROGRAMME BY POLITICIANS AND POLITICAL ACTORS, hence the multi-sectorial composition of the States’ Selection Committees.

    (12) As a result, the States’ Selection Committees have been instructed to allot to political office holders like our distinguished Senators, Honourable members, Ministers and Governors, a number in total not exceeding fifteen percent of the total beneficiaries in that State. This is to ensure that majority of Nigerians who do not belong to any of the political divides actually benefit substantially from this programme.

    (13) The actual break down of these numbers between the office holders have been communicated to the States’ Selection Committees. But if I understood Hon. Muhammad Wudil very well during his interview on HARD COPY on Channels Television, he alluded to the fact that he is uncomfortable with the fact that Ministers got a certain number of slots (30) from all the Local Government Areas in a State, whilst he as a Member of the House of Representatives got slots from only the Local Government Areas within his Constituency. But he should remember that there is only one Minister in almost all the States (except a few that have two), whilst a State like Kano where he comes from has 24 members of the House of Representatives. If those 24 members each takes slots from all the Local Government Areas available, there will be nothing left again for everyday people to share.

    (13a). Finally on this point, suffice to say that those persons to be recommended for engagement by political office holders that constitute the 15 percent so mentioned, must also be eligible persons to participate in this programme.

    APPROVAL OF SELECT BANKS:

    (14) I am also pleased to inform you that for the purpose of transparency and accountability in the process, the President approved the use of select banks to register and collate data of those to be engaged. The banks would open accounts for all beneficiaries and in the process obtain BVN for those without accounts. Consequently, all payments would be made from the CBN directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries. The banks will also simultaneously register the participants of the Special Works Programme. Apart from the transparency and accountability this will achieve, one of the benefits of the exercise is that more Nigerians would be captured in the financial system thereby enhancing the financial inclusion drive of Government. Eventually, the data collated by the banks would be passed on to us for use in the programme implementation.

    (15) It is important to note that this data to be collated would be used for other multifarious purposes relating to employment and social surveys. Already the National Bureau of Statistics, the National Population Commission and other Federal Government Agencies have requested for an allotment of persons from the 1,000 persons in each Local Government Areas to carry out special social surveys and data collation.

    MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PROJECTS:

    (16) For the ease of supervision and monitoring of such a large programme, the President approved the deployment of online technology to effectively supervise, track and monitor the entire process.

    (17) As a result, a domain name for an interactive website and online backend activities for the programme, www.specialpublicworks.gov.ng has been established.

    (18) A database containing the 774,000 participants and all the public works projects would be established. A final clean copy of the database of
    persons to be engaged would be delivered to us by the Banks we engaged to register and open accounts for them.

    (19) The website with an analytics dashboard will provide the level of work done on projects on a daily basis. It will also contain a robust feedback mechanism that will allow citizens provide independent assessment on projects.

    (20) Project owners and communities where projects are situated will also provide feedback through an online channel to our backend using their mobile devices.

    (21) Using technology, we will geotag projects and deploy public works project management software to judiciously allocate human resources to projects.

    (22) This various deployment will enable us supervise, track and monitor the programme effectively in accordance with Mr. President’s directive.

    DURATION OF PROGRAMME

    (23) The programme starts on the 1st of October, 2020. However, we are already running out of time because before October 1, 2020, we still have to select the 774,000 Nigerians, register them, open bank accounts for them and obtain their BVNs. Hence the urgency to proceed with preparations.

    HOW MUCH IS THIS PROGRAMME WORTH?

    (24).​ The total sum of N52 billion has been appropriated for this programme. Out of this amount, the sum of N46.44 billion is for actual payment of the stipends of those to be engaged. They will paid through BVN, hence eliminating the possibility of fraud in the payment scheme. The balance of N5.56 billion is for the purchase of tools and light equipment, the transportation, storage and security of these equipment in all the 774 LGAs in the country. That is approximately the sum of N7.183 million per LGA for the three-month period. The procurement of these items can only done by the National Directorate of Employment, complying with strict procurement guidelines in the Public Procurement Act.

    WHAT SHOULD NIGERIANS EXPECT FROM THIS PROGRAMME?

    (25).​At the end of the programme, we would have selected and engaged 774,000 Nigerians in a transparent process, adequately supervised and monitored them and paid N60,000.00 each for services rendered. Nigerians should also expect an improvement in physical and environmental infrastructure nation- wide.

    CONCLUSION:

    (26) I hereby respectfully make these above submissions, whilst at the same time I am ready, willing and anxious to clarify any grey area in the work plan PUBLICLY when I appear before you. As this is not an investigative hearing, I assume that you would properly inform me if you
    want to do any of such and give me the full rights of fair hearing (including giving me the opportunity to confront any witness) as provided for in section 36 of the 1999 Constitution before reaching a decision that may affect my civil rights or obligations. It is only a full investigative hearing that can lead to your “exposing corruption, inefficiency or waste” in the execution of any government programme. An “Interactive Session” cannot lead to such since that is not within the contemplation of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution.

    I thank you all.

    FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)
    Honourable Minister of State.

  • NASS committee right to question Keyamo on modalities for 774,000 jobs – Senate President

    NASS committee right to question Keyamo on modalities for 774,000 jobs – Senate President

    Senate President, Ahmed Lawan on Monday said the Joint Committee of the National Assembly has powers to ask for the modalities for the implementation of the Special Public Works programme of the Federal Government.

    He also insisted that the planned recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians for the Special Public Works programme of the Federal Government remains suspended, until the National Assembly is availed of the necessary explanation regarding the process of selecting the beneficiaries.

    He disclosed that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly within the next two weeks by the executive for consideration and approval.

    The President of the Senate made these remarks during an interactive session with the Senate Press Corps in Abuja.

    Lawan who was asked if the recent disagreement between Keyamo and a National Assembly Joint Committee is not an indication that members of the executive arm of government are not on the same page with the legislature as being claimed said that it is only Buhari that defines the executive and not any of his employees.

    Lawan said: “Let me go to the first question that it appears we are not on the same page with the executive arm of government. Only one person defines the executive arm of government. Any other person there is recruited or appointed to support that one person.

    “That one person is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So if somebody, an employee or an appointee, out of several does something that does not show harmony, it will be unfair and uncharitable to say that the executive arm of government is not on the same page with us.”

    He said that the National Assembly approved and appropriated N52billion for the SPW programme under the supervision of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and that it also has the right to demand to know the processes and procedures through which the programme will be implemented.

    Lawan added: “So our joint committee was right. The Committee was right to ask the questions. We are meant to interrogate the processes through which such programmes will be implemented.

    “The Committee resolved that the programme should be suspended until such explanations are provided on how this programme will be implemented. We stand by that.

    “The National Assembly is saying that programme remains suspended until the executive arm of government comes to explain how they will implement that programme across the states and we insist that we passed the budget for NDE to go and implement because it has the capacity. Our purpose is not just to approve money.

    “We insist that only NDE will implement this programme and even the NDE led by the Minister of Employment and Productivity will have to come and explain to the National Assembly Committees how they will implement the programme.”

    He said that the National Assembly would not have approved and appropriated funds for the SPW if it did not like the programme.

    “For us, we have passed the budget, we have approved it, we are going to support the programme because our constituents will be the beneficiaries and if we didn’t like the programme we would not have passed it.

    “So it would be unfair to say that the executive and us in the legislature are not on the same page because of an action by someone out or among the executive,” he said.

    The President of the Senate added: “I want the press to understand that what the National Assembly is insisting on is in the national and public interest.

    “It is in the national interest that we know what is going on because we passed the N52billion and somebody should explain to us how the processes of selecting the States Selection Committee is, who are the stakeholders, how are they identified and nominated.

    “How are the 1,000 beneficiaries from each Local Government going to be selected, how do we measure the success of the programme, how do we key in to support the executive arm of government to succeed in that respect.

    “So there is nothing that this is an indication that the executive and the legislature are not on the same page.

    “But this is a programme that Nigerians must benefit and we are representatives of Nigerians we want complete understanding of how this programme is going to be implemented.”

  • 774,000 jobs: NASS suspends recruitment exercise over row with Keyamo

    774,000 jobs: NASS suspends recruitment exercise over row with Keyamo

    The National Assembly on Wednesday announced the suspension of the Special Public Works programme under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    The programme which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and handed over to Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo (SAN) for coordination was meant temporarily absorb 774, 000 vulnerable Nigerians affected by the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic.

    By the arrangement, 1, 000 Nigerians who would earn N20,000 each on a monthly basis for three months are expected to be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas, of the country.

    The programme was expected to take off in October this year.

    But the nation’s parliament on Wednesday said the programme has been suspended following the disagreement between it and Keyamo on Tuesday.

    The spokesperson for the Senate, Ajibola Basiru, who announced the suspension of the programme at a press conference in Abuja, said the National Assembly has summoned the Minister in charge of the Ministry to appear before the federal legislature, to explain the recruitment modalities.

    He said, “In view of the foregoing, the implementation of the programme shall be on hold pending proper briefing of the National Assembly by the Minister of Labour and Productivity.”

    Recall that the federal lawmakers on Tuesday, walked Keyamo out of a hearing 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 NDE Director-General, Nasiru Argungu, to brief them on steps so far taken to recruit 774,000 personnel across the country.

    Trouble started when lawmakers queried Keyamo for allegedly undertaking 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 degenerated to the forceful exit of Keyamo from the meeting.

  • 774,000 jobs: NASS members, Keyamo in rowdy meeting [Photo]

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo was on Tuesday in a stormy session with a joint committee meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    The lawmakers had invited Keyamo to give details of the Special Public Works Programme where 774,000 people would be recruited by the Federal Government under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    The employment will be for three months, from October till December.

    During the meeting which was held at the National Assembly in Abuja, members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Labour sought to find out the method of selection of a 20-man committee from each state for the programme.

    However, a heated argument erupted between committee members and Keyamo over who should head the programme which was to be domiciled under the NDE.

    A rowdy session followed.

    The committee decided to go into a closed-door session to discuss the matter, but the minister refused, insisting that further discussions be held in the presence of journalists.

    This enraged the lawmakers who told Keyamo to apologise to the committee, but he refused insisting on replying to the allegations made by the members against him before journalists.

    Thereafter, the minister was asked to leave the meeting since he refused to apologise to the committee members.

    The lawmakers, who had wanted to decide who the beneficiaries of the employment programme should be, claimed that Keyamo had no right to direct the committee on how to conduct its proceedings.

    This comes a day after the minister inaugurated a 20-man committee in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by virtual means.

    According to him, 1,000 persons would be selected from each of the 774 local government areas in the country to be engaged by the government in the Special Public Works Programme.

  • No politician can hijack 774,000 jobs from reaching Nigerians who need them – Keyamo

    The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said some politicians are blackmailing and pressurising him to enable them determine those to be allotted the 774,000 jobs President Muhammadu Buhari approved recently.

    The 774,000 jobs are within a special public works programme (SPWP) targeted at recruiting 1,000 persons in each of the 774 local government areas to be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    The programme, which is targeted at creating jobs for unskilled persons in rural areas, will last three months (October to December).

    The workers are expected to clear and protect public infrastructure in rural areas while they earn N20,000 each within the three months.

    Keyamo, who spoke during the inauguration of the states’ selection committee of the project, stressed that majority of the jobs must be allotted to ordinary Nigerians who need them.

    The minister said he would not sacrifice his reputation and principles by going beyond the 10 to 15 per cent allocated to political officers, adding that only President Buhari could make him do otherwise.

    “In the past, it used to be that certain people entrusted with this kind of programmes handed them over entirely to political leaders.

    “There has been an attempt at blackmailing in this particular programme too to make us also yield to political leaders. But we have said no, not while I am here.

    “Except Mr. President, who appointed and gave me the opportunity and rare privilege to drive this programme stops me, no other political leader or person can stop me. I am answerable only to Mr. President. This programme is for all Nigerians,” he said.

    “Before coming here today, there has been an attempt by certain political leaders to say I must come and see them behind the scenes first to determine who gets what and how. I said no, I will not do that. I am ready at any time for a public debate on this with them,” he said.

    Advising the committee chairmen not to allow the process from being hijacked by politicians, Keyamo warned that anyone caught under politicians’ bug would be relieved of the position and replaced immediately.

    He added: “I think the chairmen can stand on their own. Don’t go and meet in any Government House to hold any meeting; don’t go to any politician’s house to do selections. Hold your meetings in NDE offices.

    “The NDE is the one driving this programme; it has coordinators. Keep firm, stand firm. Nobody should be given more than what we allotted to the person.

    “We are going to be strict in allotting to different sectors: civil society, market women. Wait for directives. So, nobody should intimidate the chairmen. I know the chairmen will stand their ground. I am also here to back them up. We are going to remove anybody who is dancing to the tune of anybody and undermining the drive of this programme.

    “All my life, I have fought for good governance. I have gone to court to ensure that things are done right when out of government. That is what gave me my name and pedigree before I came into government. I have a practice to go back to. I want to reach the zenith of my profession.

    “Nobody will come and dictate to me the work that Mr. President told me to do. I cannot come into government and then abandon all the principles I fought for while I was out of government. I will not do that. Any attempt to intimidate or blackmail us here, we will not give in, except Mr. President tells me to stop; then, I will stop.”

  • FG constitutes states selection committees for 774,000 jobs

    All is now set for the inauguration of the states selection committees for federal government’s special public works programme.The Federal Government will, on Monday, inaugurate the states

    According to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the committees will be inaugurated on Monday (June 29) in Abuja by the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo (SAN).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the special public works programme was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of the fiscal stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A total of 1,000 Nigerians from each of the 774 local government areas will be engaged in the programme implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    Olua Davidson, a special adviser to Keyamo, said each of the committees will be made up of 20 members comprising a chairman, vice chairman and NDE state coordinator who will serve as the secretary.

    Read full statement below:

    FG INAUGURATES STATES SELECTION COMMITTEES OF THE SPECIAL PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME .

    The Federal Government will on Monday, June 29th, 2020, inaugurate the various Committees in all the States of the Federation and the FCT that would set about selecting the 1000 persons per LGA in respect of the Special Public Works Programme of the Federal Government.

    The inauguration would be done by the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN in Abuja.

    The Committees made up of 20 members each comprise of the following:

    1. Chairman

    2. Vice Chairman

    3. Secretary (the NDE State Coordinator)

    4. Three Representatives of Traditional Rulers from the three Senatorial Districts of the State (members)

    5. One representative of the State Governor (member)

    6. Market Woman Leader (member)

    7. Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in that State or his representative (member)

    8. Chairman of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in that State or his Representative (member)

    9. Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in that State or his Representative (member)

    10. Six representatives from three recognized youth organisations in that State. There would be two each from each of the three Senatorial Districts (one male & one female)- members

    11. One Representative from a recognized Civil Society Organisation (CSO) in that State – (member)

    12. Two representatives from Institutions / Stakeholders representing interests peculiar to that State (members)

    However, as a result of the COVID-19 guidelines, the Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and State Coordinators of National Directorate of Employment would join the inauguration by virtual means from their different locations. They would represent other members of the Committees.

    All Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and State Coordinators of NDE would receive the meeting ID and the password to join virtually.