FALLOUT OF ‘FIGHT’ WITH KEYAMO: NASS tells Buhari to suspend recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians

The National Assembly has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians for Special Public Works across the country.

This followed the spat members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour, Employee and Productivity had with the Minister for State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo when he appeared before them on Tuesday.

Keyamo on Tuesday had a sharp disagreement with the joint committee over the composition of the 20-member Selection Committee for the programme in each of the 36 states of the federation.

The Minister had rejected the decision of the committee to interact with him behind closed doors, insisting that they do so before cameras of journalists present at the public hearing.

READ ALSO: After Keyamo’s clash with lawmakers, Buhari cautions public officials against job racketeering

The faceoff however led to an executive session by the Senate on Wednesday apparently to deliberate on the fiasco between the Minister and the lawmakers.

According to sources, lawmakers at the executive session that lasted for about two hours, expressed shock at the behavour of Keyamo and his insistence that the National Assembly cannot direct him on what to do concerning the recruitment.

In a statement signed by the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the federal lawmakers insisted that the implementation of the programme must be put on hold until its modalities are explained to the National Assembly.

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