Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communication to Peoples Democratic Candidate (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has requested the National Assembly to make public its investigation report on the N52bn Special Works Programme administered by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo. Shaibu made the statement in response to Keyamo’s purchase of a house in the United States for over $300,000.
In 2021, the Federal Government approved N52bn to hire 774,000 Nigerians across all local government areas in the country for three months. The workers were to undertake menial jobs such as clearing drainages, sweeping markets, cutting grass, and performing other community services. The Senate and the House of Representatives subsequently stated that many of the fund’s beneficiaries did not receive anything, while others who received it did not work. As a result, they questioned Keyamo’s management of the programme and promised to investigate the matter.
Reacting to Keyamo’s confession that he owns multiple houses in the United States, Shaibu urged the National Assembly to publish its report on the failed project. He also requested that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) immediately investigate Festus Keyamo’s finances. Keyamo, who became a minister only two years after becoming a senior advocate, had for the last two years defended the shambolic implementation of the programme.
Shaibu further stated that Keyamo’s time as minister of state for labour and employment witnessed the highest level of unemployment in the country, which KPMG says is about to hit 40%. Universities also witnessed prolonged strikes as ASUU proceeded on a 10-month strike in 2020 and an eight-month industrial action in 2021. Shaibu, therefore, called for an investigation into Keyamo’s wealth, which he said had grown while he was a minister.
Keyamo had previously stated that, before he became a minister, he wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of his foreign accounts and the repatriation of his funds to the country since Nigerian law does not allow public officials to operate foreign bank accounts. He also stated that his assets declaration is publicly available for anyone to see.
Shaibu, however, dared Keyamo to publish his asset declaration form as submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau in 2019. He challenged Keyamo to make public his asset declaration forms before and after his tenure in office to prove to Nigerians that he did not engage in any fraudulent activity.
Shaibu accused Keyamo of being a hypocrite and a rabble-rouser who is only after his stomach. He further stated that Keyamo strayed from the ideals of the late Gani Fawehinmi, whom he once worked with, by serving as Spokesman for a man who was an anathema to Gani and who Gani had accused of forgery and fraud – Bola Tinubu.
