JUST IN: Keyamo Apologises To Senate After Rowdy Session At Ministerial Screening

Festus Keyamo SAN has finally apologised to the Senate after the rowdy session which greeted his nomination earlier today.

Recall the senator’s screening was suspended after senators moved a motion to stand down his nomination over his actions as minister of state during the Buhari-led administration.

The Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Darlington Nwokocha, moved a motion for the suspension of Keyamo’s ministerial screening following his lack of accountability as minister for state for labour

During his time as minister, Keyamo was invited to explain a Special Public Works programme his ministry supervised, but he didn’t honour the invitation. He instead, went to the media to accuse the Senate of fraud.

The Special Public Works programme was coordinated by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and in 2020, had earmarked N52 billion for the programme to recruit 1,000 youths from each of the 774 local governments for three months, and pay them N20,000 each but many people didn’t receive that money, and Keyamo refused to account for it.

At the resumed session, Keyamo told senators that he apologised for ignoring the summons of the committee earlier, adding that the apology is without reservation.

Keyamo stated that the disbursement of the N52 billion was supervised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) while the payment was made to all intended beneficiaries.

The former minister and that he didn’t get a dime from the money.

Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, said the Senate president should put a question forward to the senators whether the Senate has accepted the apology or not.

Ndume moved a motion that the senate accept the apology, asking Keyamo to conduct himself properly in the future.