On Monday, the Senate witnessed an intense moment when Senator Darlington Nwokocha, representing Abia Central Senatorial District, moved to suspend the ministerial screening of Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity.
Nwokocha was upset and accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and accusing the previous Assembly of corruption.
Nwokocha referenced an incident during the Buhari administration when Keyamo was invited to explain a Special Public Works program but didn’t attend. He emphasized the importance of ministerial accountability to the Nigerian people and the legislative oversight.
The Special Public Works program, overseen by Keyamo’s ministry, aimed to recruit 1,000 youths from each of the 774 local governments for a three-month period, providing them with a payment of N20,000 each. However, there were complaints from constituents who claimed they did not benefit from the program.
The Senate Public Account Committee initiated a probe, but Nwokocha asserted that Keyamo ignored the committee’s invitation, suggesting the Senate was attempting to take control of the process.
Festus Keyamo, who appeared as the final nominee from President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list, expressed gratitude for the nomination, acknowledging that he had lost hope of being part of the new administration’s Federal Executive Council.
Keyamo had played a role as a spokesperson during the electioneering process that led to the new administration’s formation. This situation unfolded after a replacement was made on the ministerial list, with Keyamo taking the spot of Maryam Shetty, and he expressed his appreciation for the opportunity.
