774,000 jobs: I have Buhari’s endorsement to start recruitment – Keyamo

The Minister of State Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has secured the approval of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to begin the recruitment of 774, 000 youths under the Special Public Works Programme.

Keyamo confirmed that the President had directed him to continue with the exercise which was earlier suspended by the National Assembly following a disagreement with the minister.

The minister in a text message to our correspondent on Tuesday said, “I have the instructions of my boss, Mr President, to proceed with the supervision of the preparation for the execution of the programme in accordance with the law.”

The lawmakers had accused the Minister of trying to hijack the scheme from the National Directorate of Employment, the implementing agency of the project.

But Keyamo, who appeared before members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour on June 30, accused them of seeking to control the implementation of the programme.

The meeting ended in a fiasco when the minister insisted that the parley should be held in the open to the consternation of the NASS members who demanded a closed-door meeting.

Keyamo consequently left in annoyance vowing not to suspend the recruitment as directed by the lawmakers. Punch