Festus Keyamo, SAN, offered his sincere apologies to the Senate on Monday evening for failing to attend previous invitations from the relevant legislative committee overseeing the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, during his time as a minister under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The apology came after a heated session in the Senate earlier in the day, during Keyamo’s ministerial screening, where Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central) accused him of disrespecting the Ninth National Assembly and making allegations of corruption against the previous Assembly.
In his apology, Keyamo expressed his remorse “without reservation” and shed more light on the circumstances surrounding his absence.
“Subsequently, there were so many hearings – budget defence and all that – we attended under a very convivial atmosphere. So, the apology is without reservation. I apologise.”
Earlier, Senator Darlington Nwokocha proposed a motion to suspend Festus Keyamo’s ministerial screening. Nwokocha’s argument centered around the fact that during Keyamo’s time in the Buhari administration, he was invited to provide an explanation regarding a Special Public Works program, but he failed to attend the invitation.
The lawmarker spoke bitterly as he spent over five minutes addressing keyamo. He said it was paramount that the screening of the nominee be stepped down pending when he explains himself to the Senate.
He said the matter shouldn’t be discussed here but on a later date but wanted the screening to be postponed.
Keyamo, in response to the issues that led to his appearance before the Senate, clarified that all payments to the beneficiaries of the public works program were made directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the individuals involved.