‘Breach my directives and face severe penalty’ — Keyamo writes NDE DG on ‘774,000 jobs’

Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, has warned Nasir Ladan, director-general of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), of severe penalties if he further breaches the directives of his ministry on the special public works programme.

Sources at the NDE confirmed the censure to TheCable.

President Muhammadu Buhari earlier gave Keyamo the go-ahead to execute the programme which the national assembly had suspended.

The minister and the national assembly committees on labour and employment had slugged it out over the legislature’s attempt at dictating the process of the programme.

The national assembly committees said Keyamo should not superintend the programme, and they were already making an alternative plan with the NDE DG to implement the public works programme which will see the employment of 774,000 citizens.

The minister wrote to the NDE DG, citing the directive of the president on the execution of the programme under the supervision of his ministry.

He asked the DG to halt all further plans to proceed with an alternative plan to implement the programme with the committees of the national assembly.

The minister also asked the DG not to ”do anything or take any step regarding the preparation and actual execution of the special public works programme without” his express approval in writing.

The federal government announced it has kicked off the programme on Tuesday.