. I have fresh instruction from Buhari to recruit jobseekers – Keyamo
. Job portal opens, ministry invites applications from jobseekers
. Lawmakers set for hot session on matter
President Muhammadu Buhari has given Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, fresh approval to recruit 774, 000 under the Extended Special Public Works programme.
Keyamo confirmed the development on Tuesday in Abuja, claiming that he had fresh instruction of President Buhari to proceed with the recruitment exercise.
He said, “I have fresh instructions to proceed with the programme as directed by him and to continue to supervise the programme in accordance with the law.
“I stress it, in accordance with the law.”
He said that the directive was given to him by President Buhari on Tuesday, 14 July 2020.
But Buhari’s order contradicted a directive of the National Assembly, which, earlier this month, ordered the suspension of the programme.
On Tuesday, the two chambers of the National Assembly declined to comment on the approval given to Keyamo by the President, First News gathered that the lawmakers would on Wednesday (today) debate the matter.
A few months ago, President Buhari had approved the employment of 774,000 workers as part of efforts to cushion the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the programme, 1, 000 Nigerians, who will earn N20, 000 each on a monthly basis for three months, will be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas of the country.
But the implementation of the programme was hit by a crisis on July 1 when the National Assembly said it had suspended it because of a disagreement it had with Keyamo.
The minister and lawmakers had been at loggerheads over the implementation of the programme.
The lawmakers had faulted the minister for not seeking their input before putting together members of the 20-man states selection committees, who were inaugurated in June this year.
After engaging in a shouting match with members of the National Assembly joint committee, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, called for the suspension of the programme.
However, Keyamo said that the state’s selection committees were proceeding already with the programme as planned, following the new directive from Buhari.
He said, “I have instructions from Mr. President to proceed.
“The state’s selection committees are proceeding already with the programme. “Nothing stopped them before.”
The Special Public Works Programme is designed to employ 1,000 persons from each of the 774 local government areas of the country.
The programme is expected to gulp N52billion meant for the payment of the participants at N20,000 per month for three months.
The 20-man selection committee for the programme is being chaired by the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Nasir Ladan Argungu, and supervised by Keyamo.
Also on Tuesday, the Federal Ministry of Labour in a tweet said the recruitment of the 774, 000 youths had started.
The tweet read, “Special public works programme of the Federal Government has started nationwide. The state selection committees have been inaugurated and have commenced work. Find the names and contact details of members of your state’s committee on the portal.”
Keyamo was also said to have directed the NDE DG to halt further actions on the recruitment of the workers, which he insisted would be undertaken by the ministry.
It was learnt that the SPWG portal, https://specialpublicworks.gov.ng/site/ has started functioning. It contains the list of state selection committee members inaugurated by the minister a few weeks ago and other tips on the exercise.
First News, however, learnt that the issue would be raised on Wednesday at the House of Representatives and the Senate.