Festus Keyamo at the re-commencement of senate sitting, apologised for his failure to appear before the 9th National Assembly as Minister of State for Labour and Productivity during the last administration.
He was to appear to clarify the N52 billion Public Works Fund shared at N20,000 each for beneficiaries — transferred directly to them by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Keyamo explained that the Ministry of Labour and Employment only generated the list for the CBN to take action, adding that the register of beneficiaries is domiciled with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
He urged the Senate to investigate the matter if his explanation was not satisfactory.
“I apologise and the apology is without reservation.” The entire register of the “beneficiaries of the special public works and their details, including their account number and BVNs are with the NDE,” Keyamo said.
Read also: Akpabio meets Tinubu over Keyamo, others
Senator Godiya Akwashiki (SDP Nasarawa) urged his colleagues to accept Keyamo’s apology and asked him to ‘go and sin no more’.
Senator Ali Ndume therefore moved a motion that the Senate should accept the apology and allow him to take the leave of the Senate and was seconded by Senator Barinada Mpigi (PDP, Rivers).
The Senate after accepting Keyamo’s apologies, cleared him as a ministerial nominee after a three-hour closed door session between President Bola Tinubu and senate president Akpabio.
Akpabio therefore asked the nominee to take a bow and go.
