Breaking: Senate In Emergency Closed Session Over 774, 000 Jobs

The Senate is currently in an emergency closed session to discuss over the decision of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, to flout its decision on the recruitment of 774, 000 federal workers.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly last Thursday met to discuss the development.

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe had earlier stated that the Senate would take an official position on the action of the minister, he noted that the lawmakers are waiting for the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to brief them on the outcome of Thursday’s meeting between the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the President on the issue.

He had said, “The Senate will take an official position on the issue next Tuesday after listening to the outcome of the meeting between the presiding officers and the President over the matter.”

“We asked our presiding officers to meet with President Buhari over the issue and we have not had plenary since they returned. The Senate President will brief us on Tuesday at plenary and we will make a decision on it.”

The lawmakers had suspended the recruitment process following the disagreement between its committee on Labour and Kayamo.

The committee in its statement accused the Minister of hijacking the recruitment exercise from the National Directorate of Employment, which got N52bn approval to carry out the programme.

Keyamo, however, stood against the decision of the Senate and announced last Tuesday that the President has given him the approval to proceed with the recruitment process.

The development saw the Senate hold an emergency closed-door session on Wednesday and mandated presiding officers of both chambers of the nation’s parliament to immediately meet with Buhari on the proposed recruitment of 774, 000 federal workers.

The development forced the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, secured an appointment for a meeting with Buhari on Thursday where the issue was discussed.