Menu Close

Only NDE will recruit 774, 000 Nigerian youths ─Senate President Lawan

Sen. Ahmed Lawan, President of Nigerian Senate

*Government approves N52bn for implementation of youth recruitment plan

*It’s unfair to say Executive, Legislature aren’t on same page with programme implementation

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Considered as part of the Federal Government’s COVID-19 palliative measures, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, President of the Nigerian Senate, has disclosed that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) solely must be in charge of the planned but controversial recruitment of 774, 000 youths across the country.

Sen. Lawan, in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, FCT, Monday, July 6 however, said that the NDE and Dr. Chris Ngige, Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity, first have to explain the modalities for the recruitment process.

The Senate President stated that since the N52bn meant for the implementation of the programme was approved for the NDE, the agency then, must be in total control of the recruitment exercise.

“The National Assembly consciously and patriotically passed the request of the Executive for N52bn to undertake the programme of the public works across the country, where 1,000 youths will be employed in every local government area in the country, totalling 774,000 people.

“That was the approval given by the National Assembly to the budget request of Mr President.

“When the National Assembly was to pass the request, we were conscious that the NDE will be the agency to implement the programme and we approved that because we know the NDE has the capacity to implement the programme,” said Lawan.

According to the Senate President, “that programme is an NDE programme, approved by the National Assembly worth N52bn.

“So, our joint committee was right to ask questions. We are meant to interrogate the processes through which such programmes will be implemented.”

According to him, the Federal lawmakers did not oppose the implementation of the recruitment programme.

He added: “If we didn’t like the programme, we would not have passed it. So, it would be unfair to say that the executive and we in the Legislature are not on the same page because of an action by someone in the Executive.

“What the National Assembly is insisting on, is in the national and public interest. It is in the national interest that we know what is going on because we approved N52bn for it and somebody should explain to us, the processes of selecting the States Selection Committee.”

Kindly Share This Story

 

Kindly share this story