The disagreement between the National Assembly and the Federal Government over who controls the recruitment of the 774,000 unskilled workers across the 774 local government areas in the country continued on Wednesday as lawmakers directed that the programme be put on hold pending certain clarifications.
The Federal Government had said that it would recruit 1,000 itinerant and unskilled workers in each of the 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country from October to December for road rehabilitation, construction, sanitation, among others, for a monthly stipend of N20, 000.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly Joint Committees on Labour, Employment and Productivity walked out the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, from its meeting over differences on modalities of the recruitment exercise.
The minister had accused the lawmakers of trying to hijack the programme while the lawmakers said that as a legislative body they had a responsibility to make input into the exercise.
Keyamo had, in a statement after he was ordered out of the meeting, said the lawmakers had no power to suspend the programme, adding that the constitution did not give them that power.
The minister directed all the committees set up nationwide made up of CAN, NSCIA, NURTW, market women, CSOs, youth organisations, traditional rulers, among others, to proceed with their work unhindered, adding that only Mr. President could stop their work.
However, the National Assembly, on Wednesday, said that the exercise must be put on hold until the Federal Government explained the modalities of implementation.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday, both chambers of the National Assembly said the programme must benefit all Nigerians.
The National Assembly further invited Keyamo and any other relevant official of the ministry to appear before its joint committee to brief it on the modality for the implementation of the engagement of 774,000 persons for public works.
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