FESTUS Keyamo, immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, yesterday overcame initial scare and hurdle to be later screened following his last-minute nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a ministerial candidate.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was screened by the Senate after he apologised to the lawmakers over an alleged disrespect to the legislature in 2020 when he was said to have he ignored summons of both chambers of the National Assembly to explain disbursement of N52 billion public works programme of the federal government.
In the motion, which generated an uproar at the Senate, Nwokocha had moved for the suspension of Kayemo’s screening pending investigation and explanation on how he disbursed the N52 billion public works programme to Nigerians across 774 local governments during his tenure as Minister of State, Labour and Productivity.
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On resumption from closed session, Keyamo apologised to the lawmakers over his conduct in 2020 to both chambers of the National Assembly, when he was invited to explain the ministry’s activities on the public works programme.
He thereafter explained how payment to the beneficiaries of the public works programme was made by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) direct to the beneficiaries account with their verifiable BVN.
According to him, every beneficiary was duly registered and documented and could be verified by the Senate.
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President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio noted that government was a continuum, adding that the Senate has the right to investigate payment of the money to the beneficiaries.
Sen. Godiya Akwasiki (SDP-Nasarawa) however urged the senate to accept the apology tendered by the nominee, given his remorseful disposition.
Sen. Alli Ndume (APC-Borno) thereafter moved a motion that senate accept the apology of the nominee, while Sen. Jaribe Agom (PDP-Cross River) moved another motion that the nominee take leave of the senate, after his apology was accepted by the senate, given the ruling of President of Senate.
Akpabio consequently ruled further that the nominee took a leave of the senate.
