Ministerial Screening of Keyamo Sparks Division Among Senators

In a tumultuous session at the Senate on Monday, Festus Keyamo, a former minister of State for Labour and Employment under former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, faced scrutiny as a ministerial nominee for a new position under President Bola Tinubu's government.

The rowdy session ensued when Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) moved a motion to suspend Keyamo's screening. Nwokocha reminded Keyamo of his previous insults towards lawmakers in both chambers during his tenure as a minister. Additionally, he highlighted corruption charges against the nominee and how Keyamo had disregarded the National Assembly summons in 2020 regarding the employment scheme that aimed to recruit 774,000 Nigerians for the special public works program.

Senator Nwokocha urged the suspension of the screening until these issues were cleared. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) seconded the motion, and during the voice vote, chaos erupted as lawmakers shouted "no" and "yes."

In response to the disorder, some lawmakers called for a division, which could potentially weaken the Senate President's authority. The division entails lawmakers physically taking sides to vote either in favor of or against the motion.

To restore order, the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, stood up and called for silence. As per the Senate Standing Orders, when the Senate President stands, all other lawmakers must sit. After calming the situation, Akpabio called for a closed-door session, leading to the adjournment of the plenary until 3:30 pm.

The controversy surrounding Keyamo traces back to April 2020 when the Federal Government approved the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians for a special public works program to counter the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keyamo clashed with the National Assembly when he appeared at the Red Chamber in June of the same year, refusing to settle the matter behind closed doors. Lawmakers alleged that their constituents did not benefit from the scheme, but Keyamo defended the project, accusing the lawmakers of attempting to blackmail him and hijack the exercise, asserting that the beneficiaries were legitimate.

These incidents, along with other alleged infractions committed by Keyamo during his time as minister of State for Labour and Employment, have led to a significant rift between the nominee and the lawmakers.