Reps move to suspend FG’s 774,000 jobs scheme

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called for the immediate suspension of the Special Works Scheme of the Federal Government, which involved the recruitment of 774,000 in local government areas across the country ‎

The National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity had clashed over the recruitment of 774,000 workers for the scheme.‎

At plenary on Tuesday, the House of Representatives asked the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning  not to fund the scheme.

The programme is billed to take off in January 2021.‎

The National Assembly had appropriated N52bn for the exercise in the 2020 Appropriation Act. ‎

The House of Representatives also faulted the removal of the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Nasiru Argungu.

Argungu had backed the lawmakers in the dispute with the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity.‎

Also, the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse  Argungu’s sacking.

Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, had since appointed Argungu’s replacement following a directive from the President.

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