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Festus Keyamo, a ministerial nominee hailing from Delta State, has offered his apologies to the National Assembly for disregarding their committee summonses while he served as the minister of state for labour and employment in the previous administration. The apology was tendered during the resumption of his screening on Monday, after the Senate had initially suspended his confirmation process.
The suspension followed a motion introduced by Darlington Nwokocha, a lawmaker from Abia state, who raised concerns about Keyamo’s conduct during the investigation into the N52 billion Special Public Works Programme of the federal government in 2020. Nwokocha cited Mr. Keyamo’s refusal to cooperate with the committee and his alleged derogatory remarks as reasons to delay the confirmation.
Following a heated session, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, reportedly went to the Villa during a closed-door session to discuss the situation. After a three-hour pause, Mr. Keyamo expressed his apology to the lawmakers. He clarified that the matter had already been resolved between him and the committee and that the apology was without reservation.
Regarding the Special Public Works project, Keyamo explained that payments were directly made to the selected beneficiaries’ accounts. He emphasized that neither he nor the agency overseeing the project saw any of the funds, as the details were handled by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Supporting Keyamo, Godiya Akwashiki, who chaired the Senate Committee on Labour in the 9th Assembly, indicated that the matter was settled then, and Keyamo attended subsequent committee sessions. Ultimately, the Senate President directed the Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, to propose a motion accepting Keyamo’s apology. The motion passed, and Keyamo was granted permission to leave the chamber.
Source: Premium Times