The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, says over 400 thousand Nigerians have received N60,000 as part of the Special Public Works Programme launched in 2021 by the Federal Government.
Keyamo made this disclosure at the weekly Ministerial Media Chat at the Statehouse on Thursday.
Fielding questions from correspondents, Keyamo said the scheme which is aimed at empowering Nigerians and cushioning the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen 413,630 persons paid N60,000 each.
According to him, some payments that have bounced back are owing to BVN challenges.
Keyamo said in total N24.817 billion has been distributed to Nigerians so far, adding that an extension might be requested to meet a target of 500 thousand persons for the first phase of the program.
The minister stressed that the program has been conducted across the 774 local governments, however, he noted that government initiatives of this nature can regrettably be hijacked by political leaders at the state levels and for this reason, some resistance was encountered.
He asserted that President Buhari has and will continue to ensured transparency in all the Federal Government’s programmes.
A file photo of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo.
The Special Public Works Programme of the Federal Government is set to kick off across the country.
After several postponements, the programme which aims to engage 774,000 unemployed Nigerians is set to commence on Tuesday.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, announced the take-off date for the programme on Sunday night via his verified Twitter handle.
Keyamo, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, noted that the announcement followed the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added that all structures of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in all the states were ready for the commencement of the programme.
The programme was initially planned for launch on October 1, 2020, but it could not go on as scheduled.
This was as a result of the reported disagreement between the minister and the Director-General of NDE, Nasir Ladan, who was relieved of his duty by in December.
The programme is designed to employ 1,000 Nigerians from each of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, and each of the 774,000 workers is expected to earn N20,000 monthly for three months duration of the job.
See Keyamo’s tweet below:
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the take off of the Special Public Works Programme (engaging 774,000 unemployed itinerant Nigerians) to begin nationwide on Tuesday, January 5th, 2021. All NDE state structures are already in top gear for the take-off ceremonies. pic.twitter.com/BZrYaxOQrE
In this photo released by the House of Representatives, some lawmakers are seated during one of the plenaries in the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
The House of Representatives has asked the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed not to release any funds to the Public Works Programme of the Federal Government if it will breach due process.
The House is also asking President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige to follow due process by ensuring that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) takes charge of the employment progress of the public works programme.
This follows a motion of urgent public importance raised by the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu on Tuesday during plenary.
According to the motion, the President’s directive to Keyamo to go ahead with the implementation of the programme would make it difficult for the National Assembly to carry out its oversight function on the programme.
According to Okechukwu, the Minister of Labour is only mandated to supervise the NDE.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, leaves a meeting with members of the Senate and House Joint Committee on Labour at the National Assembly in Abuja on June 30, 2020.
Drama played out on Tuesday as some senators walked the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, out of a meeting.
The lawmakers had invited Keyamo to give details of the Special Public Works Programme where 774,000 people would be recruited by the Federal Government under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
During the meeting which was held at the National Assembly in Abuja, members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Labour sought to find out the method of selection of a 20-man committee from each state for the programme.
However, a heated argument erupted between committee members and Keyamo over who should helm the programme which was to be domiciled under the NDE.
As the rowdy session ensued, the committee decided to go into a closed-door session to discuss the matter, but the minister refused, insisting that further discussions be held in the presence of journalists.
This enraged the lawmakers who told Keyamo to apologise to the committee, but he ignored them.
Thereafter, the minister was asked to leave the meeting since he refused to apologise to the committee members.
The lawmakers claimed that Keyamo had no right to direct the committee on how to conduct its proceedings.
This comes a day after the minister inaugurated a 20-man committee in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by virtual means.
According to him, 1,000 persons would be selected from each of the 774 local government areas in the country to be engaged by the government in the Special Public Works Programme.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has asked that individuals be allowed to vent their opinions freely with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keyamo who lately has been taking on the COVID-19 issue via social media, the people must be allowed to vent their opinions because it is a sign of the times.
He also stated that the challenge that soon will face governments around the world is how to keep their citizens safe from COVID-19 by imposing inactivity and at the same time how to keep them safe from poverty, hunger & depression as a result of the inactivity.
The preponderance of opinions in countries around the world is that majority of citizens are blaming their govts for not doing enough to curb COVID-19. We must be tolerant & allow people vent their opinions. It’s a sign of the times. The grass is always greener on the other side
The challenge that’ll soon face govts around the world is how to keep their citizens safe from COVID-19 by imposing inactivity & at the same time how to keep them safe from poverty, hunger & depression as a result of the inactivity. It’s a decision between the rock & a hard place
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has asked major telecommunication companies in Nigeria to give tokens of airtime and data in a bid to ease the pains of Nigerians even as the fight against COVID-19 intensifies.
According to series of tweets by Keyamo on Monday, the airtime and data will not only ease pains but will also help Nigerians stay connected to their loved ones in these trying times.
Keyamo also asked the direct broadcast satellite service providers in Nigeria to support the fight against COVID-19 by giving Nigerians an extension on their current subscription.
Using his verified Twitter page, Keyamo urged DSTV and StarTimes to extend existing subscriptions by one month, to help alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians within the lockdown period.
2. I would also urge @MTNNG@9mobileng@AirtelNigeria@GloWorld to consider giving Nigerians some token airtime & data to ease their pains & to ensure that communication with individuals & authorities is ensured in cases of emergencies, especially when toll-free numbers are busy
1. As one of the Ministers entrusted with the welfare of Nigerian workers, I politely urge @DStvNg & @StarTimes_Ng to extend all EXISTING subscriptions by at least one month, free-of-charge, as their own contribution to ease the pains of Nigerian workers at this time of lockdown
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has asked direct broadcast satellite service providers in Nigeria to support the fight against COVID-19 by giving Nigerians an extension on their current subscription.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Mr Keyamo urged DSTV and Star Times to extend existing subscriptions by one month, to ease the pains of many across the nation.
1. As one of the Ministers entrusted with the welfare of Nigerian workers, I politely urge @DStvNg & @StarTimes_Ng to extend all EXISTING subscriptions by at least one month, free-of-charge, as their own contribution to ease the pains of Nigerian workers at this time of lockdown
The minister also urged major telecommunication companies in Nigeria to give out some tokens of airtime and data in a bid to ease the pains of Nigerians and to help them stay connected to their loved ones in these trying times.
2. I would also urge @MTNNG@9mobileng@AirtelNigeria@GloWorld to consider giving Nigerians some token airtime & data to ease their pains & to ensure that communication with individuals & authorities is ensured in cases of emergencies, especially when toll-free numbers are busy
The minister further stated that aside from the spiritual angle to the scourge, Nigerians must all work and pray; God can only help those who help themselves.
He also lashed out at Christian religious leaders who he termed as “recalcitrant”, saying they must come to realise that this disease is permitted by God.
Keyamo urged all Nigerians to follow all the directives of NCDC, stressing that the instructions must be obeyed to the letter before the scourge can end in praise.
The human rights activist also asked Nigerians to use the period of partial lockdown to reignite old friendships and common humanity.
Keyamo stressed that:
“It’s not a period of gloom, but a precaution. Call up old friends; search for your childhood playmates on social media and chat them up. Soon, we shall return to our crazy daily schedules”.
Over 20000 persons have been killed since the novel Coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
God has allowed COVID-19 to afflict the human race only to redirect our steps back to Him. We have so distorted God’s Word to suit our own human weaknesses and satisfy our greed, even in supposed Holy Places. We should collectively ask for forgiveness & it will all end in praise
Aside the spiritual angle to this scourge, we must all work and pray; God can only help those who help themselves. Those our recalcitrant Pastors must realise this. All the directives of @NCDCgov must be followed to the letter by all and sundry before it can quickly end in praise
Let’s use this period of partial lockdown to reignite old friendships and our common humanity. It’s not a period of gloom, but precaution. Call up old friends; search for your childhood playmates on social media and chat them up. Soon, we shall return to our crazy daily schedules
The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr Festus Keyamo, briefing reporters in Ugheli, Delta State on January 16, 2020.
The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr Festus Keyamo, has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a very unserious opposition.
He made the remark during an interview with reporters on Wednesday while attending an event in Ughelli, Delta State.
“We have an opposition that is a very unserious opposition; an opposition that is not ready to take but they are ready to give,” said the Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He further described the PDP as “an opposition that takes the benefit from the system; from a particular institution and they don’t want to take the downs from that same institution.”
Keyamo faulted the reaction of the opposition party to the judgement of the Supreme Court which removed Mr Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State.
A seven-man panel of justices led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammed, had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ihedioha and give same to Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Party (APC).
Hope Uzodinma Emeka Ihedioha
Reacting in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP rejected the judgement and wondered how Uzodinma who came fourth could be declared as the winner of the election.
“In fact, the PDP and indeed, most Nigerians are still at a loss as to understand the basis upon which the Supreme Court arrived at its decision.
“The party says it is lamentable that the destiny of the people of Imo state is being taken from the governor they chose and voted for and handed over to individuals and a political party that do not have their blessing and mandate and which they rejected at the election,” the opposition party said.
On his part, Keyamo believes members of the opposition party are not objective with their reaction because the court’s ruling did not favour them.
He highlighted the events in two states where members of the APC were barred from participating in the 2019 general elections.
The minister questioned, “The same court that gave them victories and excluded us entirely in Rivers State, excluded us entirely in Zamfara State; is that the same kangaroo court?
“How can democrats come out and make such very inciting statement? I think it is an irresponsible statement.
“It doesn’t even deserve a response and they need to apologise to Nigerians and to the Supreme Court; it’s extremely provocative,” he added.
The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr Festus Keyamo, believes regulating the posts on social media is the way to go in order to bring sanity into the society.
Keyamo stated this in a series of tweets on Monday in reaction to the proposal of the Social Media Bill by the National Assembly.
He took a swipe at those condemning the bill and asked them to unblock and apologise to those who irritated them with insults.
Although the minister did not support the death penalty for hate speech, he insisted that posting false information on social media was dangerous for the nation.
He stressed that there should be some penal consequences for those who deliberately go online to post false stories under the umbrella of freedom of speech.
The Social Media Bill has sparked mixed reactions from individuals and groups within and outside Nigeria.
Read Keyamo’s tweets below:
Those so-called overnight Social Media ‘activists’ who oppose the Social Media Bill should first stop blocking those who irritate them with insults, unblock all those they have blocked and apologise to them. You can’t be intolerant and ask others to be. Practice what you preach.
Some cannot differentiate the Social Media Bill from the Hate Speech Bill. Whilst no reasonable person will support death sentence for hate speech, you can’t come online to say something totally untrue that can put other lives in danger without some kind of penal consequence
The real agitation should be for Parliament, in line with S.36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, to clearly define the TYPES of false & insensitive posts that would attract penal consequences, so that govt doesn’t abuse it. But to leave everyone to just post ANYTHING is unacceptable
Civil suits on Defamation of character only take care of PERSONAL INSULTS. I don’t subscribe to punishment for that. But you cannot come online to deliberately post false stories, in the guise of ‘freedom of speech’, that can set the nation ablaze without some penal consequences
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a minor reshuffle of his cabinet, five weeks after the ministers were inaugurated.
The Federal Government announced this in a statement on Tuesday by Mr Willie Bassey, the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
According to the statement, those affected are the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Festus Keyamo, and the Minister of State of Labour and Employment, Senator Tayo Alasoadura.
Mr Keyamo was directed to move to the Ministry of Labour and Employment as the minister of state while Senator Alasoadura would take over as the minister of state at Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The redeployment, according to the statement, takes effect from Tuesday, September 24.
A drama almost played out on Friday in the Senate over the recitation of Nigeria’s national anthem.
While the lawmakers were holding a special session to screen ministerial nominees presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi) stood up to asked a couple of questions.
The lawmaker directed his questions to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Festus Keyamo, who stood on the floor of the Senate as one of the nominees.
Senator Melaye’s inquiries bordered on Mr Keyamo’s qualification to hold the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He said, “I start by congratulating my ‘paddy’ and friend, Festus Keyamo, and our relationship actually dates some years back, not recent. I just want to start by saluting your intellectual.
“I want to quote Section 174 of the Constitution and then ask my question in that regard, section 150 talks about who is qualified to be Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.”
After asking about two questions relating to his qualification for the office, Senator Melaye asked Keyamo to recite the nation’s anthem.
“I just want to say that as a versatile minster, I know you to be intellectually mobile, you recite the second stanza of the national anthem,” he said.
However, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, interjected and asked the legal practitioner to ignore the recitation of the national anthem.
“That is not a question,” Senator Lawan told Senator Melaye, adding, “You have asked very direct questions.”
It is believed that a number of Nigerians cannot recite the national anthem fluently.
The nation’s anthem is mostly sung to mark the commencement of activities in primary and secondary schools, as well as government events among others.
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