The Senate on Thursday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider and rescind his directive on the removal of Dr. Nasiru Ladan Argungu as the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, in the overriding national public interest.
The Senate also urged the president to direct an investigation into the causes of the frosty relationship between Dr. Nasiru Ladan Argungu and his supervisory Minister, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment and the impact of such frosty relationship on the implementation of the federal government’s Special Works Programme.
The decision of the Senate to call the president to reconsider his decision against Argungu followed a motion to that effect during plenary by Senator Hassan Hadejia (APC – Jigawa North East).
The motion presented by Hadejia reads:
“Notes with concern, reports on the removal of Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan Argungu as the DG, NDE attributed to a press statement of 8th December, 2020 issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu which indicates that the presidential directive on the removal of Dr Argungu as the DG, NDE on Friday, December 4th, 2020 took effect from Monday, December 7th, 2020;
“Notes further the controversies surrounding the removal of Dr Ladan Argungu as the Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) since the news of his removal began trending in the print and electronic media;
“Observes that while it is within the power of the president as the custodian of executives powers of the federal government to a point and remove such caliber of appointees, the presidential directive on the removal of Dr. Argungu as the DG, NDE gave room for speculations in many quarters that some unpatriotic people are scheming to undermine and disrupt the implementation of the laudable Federal Government’s Special Works Programme. This is also capable of creating needless and avoidable leadership crisis at the NDE at this critical time that the federal government intends to leverage on the NDE to address the issues of unemployment and youth empowerment in the country;
“Observes further that it is in the overriding public interest to reconsider and rescind the said presidential directive on the removal of Dr. Ladan Argungu as the DG, NDE to ensure leadership stability at the NDE for smooth implementation of job creation, skill acquisition and the FG Special Works Programme aimed at benefitting our youths, many of whom are unemployed and remain restless in the streets, nationwide.”
Speaking on the motion, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave assurance that the National Assembly would continue to support the social intervention programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
According to Lawan, the various intervention programmes by the federal government sought to reduce unemployment figures across the country.
His words: “My understanding of this motion is essentially to make the point that the Senate and, indeed the National Assembly, is in full support of the Social Public Works Programme.
“The recruitment of 1000 people in each local government, which comes to 774,000 slots across the country, is one that we are in total support of, and will continue to do so.
“We relate with people all the time and we know the need and imperative of such a programme, and this administration is doing well with so many social intervention programmes and, therefore, we will continue to support such programmes.
“I think the problem is the dislocation, if I may use the word, that the sacking of the DG would cause.
“The NDE successfully implemented a pilot Programme in six states under the leadership of the DG, and if there are rifts between the DG and his ministers, I think we should look at the benefits of getting this programme implemented and resolve the issues that may characterise the relationship.”
