Senate Forces Keyamo To Apologise Before Screening

The Senate resumed plenary on Monday and forced former Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo to apologise before being screened.

Recall there was uproar in the upper chamber when the Senate reconvened to finish the screening of ministerial nominees.

Keyamo faced serious inquest into his activities as a Minister under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari when he blocked legislative oversight into the employment scheme of 774,000 Nigerians recruited for the special public works programme in 2020.

Keyamo’s trouble started when Senator Darlington Nwokocha, Abia central, moved a motion for an executive session to enable Keyamo to explain his outburst and attack on the legislators during the scheme.

His motion was supported by Enyinnaya Abaribe, Abia south.

The session plunged into confusion as some senators in the All Progressives Congress, APC, tried to ensure he was screened.

The Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was presiding, ruled that the Senate be dissolved into an executive session.

The upper house went into a close session but Akpabio hurriedly left for the Presidential Villa where he met with the president, Bola Tinubu.

The Senate returned into the committee of the whole after Akpabio returned from the villa and asked Keyamo to apologise.

Although he explained that the issue surrounding the employment scheme was “resolved” as he later appeared, Ali Ndume, Chief Whip pleaded that his apology be accepted.

When Akpabio put the motion to voice vote, it was unanimously accepted.

He was asked to take a bow and exit the chamber.