NATIONAL: Buhari endorses Fikpo as acting DG of NDE despite Senate’s stance

PRESIDENT Buhari has approved the appointment of Abubakar Fikpo as the acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment pending the appointment of a substantive DG.

The approval of Fikpo is an indication that the sacking of former NDE DG by the president is carved in stone.

With this development, the call by the Senate that Buhari should rescind the sacking of Argugu as the NDE DG has gone unheeded by the president.

The Federal Government’s planned 774,000 jobs witnessed many setbacks last year which according to the Senate was largely caused by the frosty relationship between the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo and Argungu.

There was even a shouting match between members of the red chamber and Keyamo the day the initiative was to be ratified by the lawmakers.

The Senate had requested that the scheme should be subsumed under the NDE, while Keyamo insisted that he had the presidential backing to supervise the scheme.

After months of claims and counter-claims between Keyamo and the lawmakers, Argungu was relieved of his position, a development the Senate said was engineered by Keyamo and therefore asked for a rescind.

The resolution of the Senate asking Buhari to reinstate Argungu followed a point of order raised on the floor by the Senator representing Jigawa East Senatorial District, Ibrahim Hadejia.

The red chamber argued that the removal of Argungu could delay the take-off of the Federal Government programme aimed at providing jobs for 774,000 Nigerians.

Despite the stance of the Senate, President Buhari asked Keyamo to nominate an acting DG for the agency. Many still thought the president would eventually do the Senate’s bidding.

But in a statement released today, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu disclosed that the president has the nomination made by Keyamo.

The statement titled, “President Buhari approves nomination of Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the acting DG of the National Directorate of Employment,” read:

“President Muhammadu Buhari has formally conveyed to the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, his approval of the nomination of Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General for the Agency.

“Last month, the President relieved the former DG of the agency of his appointment, and directed the Minister to nominate an Acting DG to superintend over the Agency pending the appointment of a substantive DG.”