UPDATED: Reps Asked FG To Suspend Take Off Of 774,000 Jobs

Daily Metro News NG

The Lower Chamber of the National Assembly, House of Representatives, on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to halt the planned January 2021 take-off of the 774,000 special works programme.

The House also asked the Ministry of Finance not to release the funds meant for the programme until some issues that affects the integrity of the programme are sorted out.

In a motion of urgent Public importance sponsored by Hon. Olajide Olatubosun, and adopted by the Lower Chamber, the House also condemned the sack of the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mohammed Ladan Argungu without due process and advised that he be reinstated immediately.

Hon. Onofiok Luke while contributing to the debate, said the decision of the federal government to sack the Director General of the NDE was ill advised, adding that he stood for the right thing and ensure that the programme succeed.

He said there is urgent need to suspend the programme because there are silent issues which bother on the integrity of the legislature and the need to build institutions.

According to him, the DG stood for what is right and the decision to sack him was ill-advised, adding that since the programme was initially supposed to take place in 2020, the money meant for it was provided for in the 2020 budget, adding that since it has been shifted to 2021, there was the need to suspend its implementation until there is provision made for it in the 2021 budget.