The ministry of labour and employment says Festus Keyamo, its minister of state, will supervise the recruitment of 774,000 citizens for the special public works programme.
The ministry said this in reaction to the resolutions of both chambers of the national assembly which asked that the minister be barred from supervising the recruitment process.
The national assembly said instead of the minister, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) should handle the recruitment exercise.
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Keyamo had clashed with some lawmakers when he appeared before a legislative panel over the programme.
The lawmakers accused Keyamo of hijacking the programme from the NDE, but the minister fired back, alleging they were seeking to allocate job slots to themselves.
The national assembly later suspended programme.
Anaedoonline.com had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari gave Keyamo the go-ahead to execute the programme, despite the position of the lawmakers.
Speaking with The Punch on Wednesday, Charles Akpan, deputy director, press and public relations for the ministry of labour, said Keyamo is still in charge of the recruitment exercise.
He said nothing has changed since Buhari gave the go-ahead. Akpan said the exercise would be supervised by Keyamo, under whose office the NDE operates.
“The special works programme is with the NDE, but our ministry is the supervising ministry for NDE and because of that, we monitor their activities and the ministry of labour was given the responsibility to handle that assignment, and it is under the supervision of the minister of state,” he said.
“So, whatever the directorate does, it would report to the minister of state; so nothing has changed.”
The Minister had warned Nasir Laden, NDE director-general, of severe penalties if he further breaches the directives of his ministry on the recruitment.
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He asked the DG to halt further arrangements with the national assembly committees on an alternative plan to implement the programme.
Bala Na’Allah, senator representing Kebbi south, had said the minister risked going to jail over the matter.
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