Senate Public Account Committee has launched an investigation into the Public Works Programme coordinated by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in which 774,000 Nigerians were recruited with the mandate of engaging 1,000 people per local government.

The Federal Government had earmarked N52 billion for the project in 2020 in which 774,000 Nigerians were paid N20, 000 each for three months.

However, at the committee sitting of Senate Public Accounts chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide, the lawmakers gave the NDE two weeks to submit a comprehensive report of the beneficiaries of scheme in 36 states of the country and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The committee which is currently investigating expenditure of Service Wide Votes (SWV) discovered that NDE collected N26 billion for the scheme in 2020.

However, drama ensued at the committee meeting on Tuesday when all seven senators that were present at the meeting said that none of their constituent members benefited from the scheme.

Senator Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East) said that nobody benefited from his Senatorial district from the programme, adding that all names submitted by lawmakers were not considered.

Also, Senator Michael Nnachi (Ebonyi South) said no single person benefited from his Senatorial district, adding that the NDE should make available a beneficiaries list from his Senatorial district.

The committee members therefore unanimously agreed that the NDE should submit names, phones number, and account details of the 1,000 beneficiaries in each 774 local government within one week.

But, the representative of NDE who is a director of the agency, Isah Abdul appealed to the Committee to give the agency three weeks to compile the list of beneficiaries.

However, the committee declined and gave the agency two weeks to submit the list. (Nigerian Tribune)

•Floor of the senate

Release withheld salaries of ASUU members NLC tells FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to ensure all withheld salaries of lecturers in public universities were released and all collective bargaining agreements with all unions in the tertiary education sub sector were honoured to forestall further industrial disharmony.

NLC in a communiqué signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboajah at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, also asked government to stand down its “No Work No Pay Policy.”

The communiqué partly reads: “The NEC called on the government to honour all collective bargaining agreements with unions in the tertiary education sub-sector especially with regards to wages and conditions of service.

“Increase budgetary allocation to the education sector. Called for the release of withheld salary owed university workers. Rejects the “no work – no pay” policy of the government.

“We call on the Minister of Labour and Employment to respect the provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution, Trade Unions Act (CAP T14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria), Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on respect for trade union independence, promotion of tripartism and social dialogue in the exercise of his mandate as a minister.

“NEC further resolved to defend trade union independence as guaranteed by the clear provisions of our labour laws. Failure to review sectoral wages collective bargaining agreements especially in the health and judiciary sectors,” it added. (New Telegraph)