JUST IN: Video, photos as Keyamo, Senators, Reps trade words over 774,000 jobs

The Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Barr. Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday, engaged members of the National Assembly in a shouting match over the National Directorate of Employment recruitment exercise.

Trouble was said to have started when the Director-General of the NDE, Mr. Nasiru Ladan, could not defend the N52 billion budgeted for the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians under the NDE.

Barr. Festus Keyamo said his ministry was asked to supervise the recruitments by the President Muhammadu Buhari. But the federal lawmakers disagreed with Keyamo.

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However, the Minister was livid when accused of lopsidedness in the process of recruitment of the 774,000 persons across the country’s 774 local government areas.

The lawmakers accused Keyamo of failure to carry them along.

Shortly after the minister was accused of lopsidedness in the process of the recruitment, the lawmakers called for a closed-door session.

Keyamo said he was invited for a public hearing and not closed-door meeting, adding that he will not say anything unless there is media presence.

The minister, while briefing newsmen after he was walked out the Committee Room, accused the lawmakers of planning to hijack the process of recruitment.

The minister said: “They started mounting pressure to me to bring those that will be recruited from state to state.

“They want to me tell them how the programme will be done from state to state.

“I said you can’t direct me how to do that because that is taking over the power of the President (Muhammadu Buhari).

“You can’t accuse me of lopsidedness issue publicly and close the door.

“I did not insult them.

“I only insisted that we should do it publicly.

“They want to direct me on how to do it.

“They can’t direct me.”

Eagle online