The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Federal government to halt the take-off of the 774,000 special works programme now scheduled to commence in January 2021.

The House also asked the Ministry of Finance not to release the funds meant for the programme until some issues that affects the integrity of the programme are sorted out.

Adopting a motion of urgent Public importance sponsored by Hon. Olajide Olatubonsun, the House also condemned the sack of the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mohammed Ladan Argungu and advised that he be reinstated immediately.

Contributing to the debate, Hon. Onofiok Luke said the decision of the government to sack the Director General of the NDE was ill advised, adding that he stood for the right thing to be done and ensure that the programme succeed.

He said there was the need to suspend the programme because there are silent issues which bother on the integrity of the legislature and the need to build institutions.

According to him, the DG stood for what is right and the decision to sack him was ill-advised, adding that since the programme was initially supposed to take place in 2020, the money meant for it was provided for in the 2020 budget, adding that since it has been shifted to 2021, there was the need to suspend its implementation until there is provision made for it in the 2021 budget.