By Ahmed Rahma
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr Abubakar Fikpo as the acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
The media aide to the President disclosed that the approval followed Mr Fikpo’s nomination by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo.
Mr Buhari had earlier directed Mr Keyamo, who supervises the agency, to nominate an acting DG after the sack of Dr Nasiru Argungu as the NDE DG.
Mr Argugu was favoured by the National Assembly, but he fell out with the Minister over who controls the Special Public Works (SPW) programme of the federal government aimed to employ 1,000 artisans in each of the 774 local government areas of the federation for three months at N20,000 each.
While the Minister said he was the right person to supervises the scheme, the NDE chief said the programme should be under the control of the agency. The disagreement led to his removal from office.
This was rejected by the Senate, which urged Mr Buhari to revoke the sacking the former DG, following a point of order raised on the floor by the Senator representing Jigawa East Senatorial District, Mr Ibrahim Hadejia.
“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,” the statement from the presidency today said.
