In a surprising turn of events, Festus Keyamo, the former Minister of State for Labor and Employment and a ministerial nominee expressed his sincere apologies to the Senate on Monday.
According to Punch, he openly acknowledged his perceived disregard for the ninth Assembly and extended his apologies to both the chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, employment, and Productivity, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, as well as his counterpart in the House of Representatives.
With an air of contrition, he admitted, “I apologize to the Senate. I am sorry.” He went on to explain, clarifying that the World Bank had managed the funds for the program in question.
As the head of the agencies involved, he asserted that neither he nor his team had access to any of the funds. Their role was solely focused on generating the list of beneficiaries, while the money was directly deposited into their respective accounts.
He emphasized that all the necessary details and records of the program were meticulously compiled and stored in a dedicated file, including comprehensive data on the beneficiaries. These files and records were diligently maintained within the ministry.
This surprising display of remorse and accountability came about as Keyamo appeared before the Senate for his ministerial nomination, a nomination that had been put forth at the last minute by President Bola Tinubu.
However, before his appearance, Darlington Nwokocha, a member of the Senate, motioned to suspend his screening. Nwokocha reminded him of his previous insulting remarks towards lawmakers across both chambers during his time as a minister.
The corruption charges against the nominee and his failure to respond to a summons from the National Assembly in 2020 regarding the employment scheme for 774,000 Nigerians recruited for a special public works program were also brought to the forefront.
Moved by Nwokocha’s motion, the Senate was thrown into a momentary state of chaos, which was ultimately calmed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. Following the commotion, the Senate convened behind closed doors to regain order and address the situation.
Reports emerged that Akpabio promptly visited the Villa, the Presidential residence, after the closed-door meeting.
Upon the resumption of the plenary session, Keyamo, having had time to reflect, expressed his unreserved apologies to the lawmakers. This unexpected act of contrition served as a turning point in an otherwise tense and confrontational scenario.
Temmyabbe (
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