774,000 Jobs: NASS Says It Has Power To Suspend Recruitment Exercise

The National Assembly has revealed that the Federal Lawmakers have the powers to suspend the recruitment exercise of 774,000 Nigerians for the Special Public Works programme under the National Directorate of Employment.

Ekohotblog had earlier reported that The National Assembly has suspended the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians for the Special Public Works programme under the National Directorate of Employment.

The recruitment, which was meant to ease the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on citizens was suspended following the argument between some lawmakers who engaged in a shouting match with Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo.

But Keyamo, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the recruitment would not be suspended as directed by the National Assembly. According to him, the legislature has no power to issue directives to the executive.

NASS, however, noted that the recruitment exercise was a government programme and not President Muhammudu Buhari’s programme, stating that “There is no exclusivity in terms of any programme that is to be implemented, except the National Assembly is not part of government.”

Spokesperson for the Senate, Ajibola Basiru, who disclosed this on Wednesday, added that the decision could be challenged in court if the President was not satisfied with what the lawmakers have done.

“If the President sees that his powers are being encroached on, he can approach the court of law. What we are saying is this, this project, the way you are looking at it, is as if it is an exclusively presidential project.

“The conception of the programme, its approval, and its funding are with the consideration of the National Assembly because we believe it is going to be beneficial for the purpose of addressing the challenges of COVID-19.

Read also: 774,000 Jobs: NASS Suspends Recruitment Exercise Over Disagreement

“There is no exclusivity in terms of any programme that is to be implemented, except the National Assembly is not part of government.

“Government, as defined by the 1999 Constitution, has three components:  legislative powers (are contained in) Section 4, executive powers (in) Section 5 and the judicial powers (in) Section 6.

“It is the totality that constitutes government; so when you are saying government is executing a programme, it is not President Muhammadu Buhari that is doing the programme, it is the government of the people.

“The implementation, appropriation and execution all rolled into one. There is no dichotomy as such as encroaching on the powers of the President. Assuming the National Assembly is opposed to the programme, we could have not approved it.

“When journalists also raised issues about the humanitarian social register and the National Assembly intervened, there is now more transparency in it.

“Our people will also ask questions, ‘These  1, 000 people, how were they employed?’ ‘Who set up the selection committee?’ ‘What are the modalities for recruitment?’ ‘What are the minimum requirements for recruitment?”

“It cannot be left to the whims of a person or a branch of government.  It has to be the totality of the government,” Basiru said.

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