MINISTER of Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo has reacted to a Senate report that indicated that no person benefitted from the 774,000 special public works (SPW) scheme.
Members of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts had on Wednesday said that nobody from their constituencies benefitted from the scheme.
The committee gave the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) two weeks to submit a comprehensive report of all beneficiaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However in his reaction, Keyamo said that the NDE, which is under his direct supervision, would very soon provide details of the beneficiaries of the scheme to the Senate and the public.
According to TheCable, the minister said that the process was very transparent and there was no corruption.
“I think they have asked the NDE to produce the register, so, they should wait. Can they conclude before seeing the register? They gave two weeks, the response would be made available to everyone including the press,” Keyamo said in response to inquiries.
“The NDE will give every evidence, so, follow it up with the NDE. They are there to give all the reports, all the processes. So follow it up on the committee so we don’t talk outside the committee.
“There was no corruption at all. When you go there, they will make everything available. The people who were chosen are Nigerians too, they’re not from the moon, and they are not from Cameroon. So, it will be made available to everybody. The NDE is in charge, they will include every evidence and all the documents.”
The SPW scheme is a Federal Government intervention programme coordinated by the NDE as part of the efforts to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on citizens.
The programme was targeted at creating jobs for 774,000 Nigerians by recruiting 1000 persons from each LGA in the country.
In June 2020, a standoff ensued between the minister and the National Assembly after the lawmakers asked him to explain the modalities he adopted for the recruitment and why he was not carrying National Directorate of Employment (NDE) along in the exercise.
Keyamo said he had inaugurated a 20-member committee to implement the recruitment process, stating that the National Assembly’s powers under the Constitution did not extend to the exercise.
He explained to the lawmakers the Act that established the NDE gave his ministry powers to oversee the affairs and programmes of the agency.
The minister accused the lawmakers of trying trying to hijack the exercise, insisting that he would not surrender to blackmail.
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