Keyamo Apologises As Senate Confirms All 48 Ministerial Nominees

The immediate-past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has tendered an unreserved apology to the Senate for disrespecting the National Assembly over the implementation of the 774,000 special public works implemented in the last administration.

This is as the Senate late Monday evening confirmed all the 48 ministerial nominees forwarded to it for confirmation by President Bola Tinubu in three batches.

Earlier on Monday, there was an uproar in the Senate after the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), raised an issue against Keyamo, a ministerial nominee from Delta State, when he appeared for screening.

Nwokocha had accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and accusing the last Assembly of being corrupt when he was summoned to give explanation on the implementation of the special works programme under his purview as a Minister in the last Buhari administration.

The sum of N52 billion was allocated for the scheme, which was coordinated by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the supervision of Keyamo as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

The programme was targeted at employing 1,000 unskilled youths in each of the 774 LGAs of the country for three months.

The beneficiaries were expected to engage in public service works and receive a monthly stipend of N20,000 for three months.

Nwokocha drew the attention of the Senate to how Keyamo ignored the Senate when he was asked to give explanation on the implementation of the programme.

He, therefore, moved a motion that the Senate suspend the screening of Keyamo.

His motion was seconded by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia-South).

Akpabio thereafter subjected the motion to a voice vote but the legislators were divided on the matter.

He, therefore, endorsed the point of order from Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, asking the red chamber to go into closed-door session to resolve the issue.

Speaking after the Senate resumed from closed session, Keyamo said: “I apologise and the apology is without reservation.”

He said the entire register of the “beneficiaries of the special public works and their details, including their account numbers and BVNs are with the NDE.”

Senator Godiya Akwashiki (SDP, Nasarawa South) urged his colleagues to accept Keyamo’s apology.

Consequently, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) moved a motion that the Senate do accept apology and allow Keyamo to take his leave.

Ndume’s motion was seconded by Senator Barinada Mpigi (PDP, Rivers). Senate President Akpabio, therefore, asked the nominee to take a ‘bow and go’.

Meanwhile, the Senate went on a short recess afterwhich it resumed with the confirmation hearing of the ministerial nominees having spent a whole week screening the 48 nominees starting from Monday, July 31, 2023 up till this Monday, August 7, 2023.

All the 48 nominees confirmed as Ministers are as follows:

1. Akwa Ibom: Ekperikpe Ekpo

2. Bayelsa: Heineken Lolokpobri

3. Cross River: Betta Edu

4 Cross River: John Owan Enoh

5. Delta: Stella Okotete

6 . Delta: Festus Keyamo

7. Edo: Abubakar Momoh

8. Rivers: Nyesom Wike

9. Adamawa: Tahir Mamman

10. Bauchi: Yusuf Maitama Tuggar

11. Bauchi: Ali Pate

12. Borno: Abubakar Kyari

13. Gombe: Alkali Ahmed Saidu

14. Taraba: Uba Maigari Ahmadu

15. Yobe: Ibrahim Geidam

16. Taraba: Sani A Danladi

17. Jigawa: Mohamed Badaru

18. Kaduna: Nasir El-Rufai

19. Kano: Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure

20. Kano: Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo

21. Katsina: Ahmad Dangiwa

22. Katsina: Hannatu Musawa

23. Kebbi: Yusuf Tanko Sununu

24. Kebbi: Atiku Bagudu

25. Sokoto: Bello M Goronyo

26. Zamfara: Bello Matawwalle

27. Abia: Nkiru Onyejiocha

28. Anambra: Uju Ohaneye

29. Ebonyi: David Umahi

30. Enugu: Uche Nnaji

31. Imo: Doris Uzoka

32. Ekiti: Dele Alake

33. Lagos: Tunji Alausa

34. Lagos: Lola Ade John

35. Ogun: Ishak Salako

36. Ogun: Bosun Tijani

37. Ogun: Olawale Edun

38. Ondo: Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

39. Osun: Adegboyega Oyetola

40. Oyo: Adebayo Adelabu

41. Benue: Joseph Utsev

42. FCT: Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo

43. Kogi: Shaibu Abubakar Audu

44. Kwara: Lateef Fagbemi, SAN

45. Nasarawa: Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim

46. Niger: Mohammed Idris

47. Niger: Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi

48. Plateau: Simon Bako Lalong