Senate President
Ahmad Lawan says a joint committee of the national assembly was right to demand
explanation on the recruitment of 774,000 citizens.
Last week, Festus
Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, 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 meant 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 them, but Keyamo has maintained that they do
not have the powers to do so.
Speaking with
journalists in Abuja on Monday, Lawan said it is within the purview of the
committee to know how the programme would be implemented since N52 billion was
approved for it by the national assembly.
“When the national
assembly was to pass that request, the national assembly was conscious that NDE
would be the agency to implement the programme,” the senate president said.
“We know NDE has the
capacity to implement the programme. So, that programme is an NDE programme
approved by the national assembly.
“It is within the
purview of our committees to demand an explanation on the process and procedure
through which the programme would be implemented. 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 be suspended until such explanations are provided
on how this programme will be implemented. We stand by that.
“The national
assembly is saying that until the executive arm of government comes to explain
how they will implement that programme.”
The senate president
added that only the NDE would implement the programme and not the labour
ministry.
“We passed the
budget for NDE to go and implement because it has the capacity. Our purpose is
not just to approve money. What the national assembly is insisting on is in
national interest,” he said.
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