Worried by the frustration being faced by Nigerians over age discrimination in job recruitment, the Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Comrade Abba Patrick Moro, on Wednesday moved a Motion on the floor of the Senate to draw the attention of the Upper Legislative Chamber to the disturbing trend.
The Motion titled, “THE AGE REQUIREMENT PRECONDITION FOR EMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA: URGENT NEED FOR SENATE INTERVENTION” sought to prohibit and discourage public and private employers in Nigeria from disqualifying qualified applicants on the basis of age.
The Motion reads;
“The Senate;
“Notes the uproar within the public over the unabated violation of Chapter 4, Section 42 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantees every citizen the right to freedom from discrimination.
“COGNIZANCE that the Black’s Law Dictionary, Ninth Edition, defines discrimination as a differential treatment; especially a failure to treat all persons equally when no reasonable distinction can be found between those favoured and those not favoured, while the International Labour Organisation defines employment discrimination in economic terms, as a violation of human right that entails a waste of human talents with detrimental effects on productivity and economic growth, and generates socioeconomic inequalities that undermine social cohesion and solidarity and act as a brake on the reduction of poverty.
“PATHETIC that a graduate in Nigeria who could not get a job upon graduation and decided to go back to school with the hope that a higher qualification, vis avis a second or Masters Degree could give him a better employment opportunity is thrown into a career paradox when upon completion of his Masters Degree he comes out to find that he is now above the age of employment and therefore not employable by the sole reason of his age.
“IRONICAL that a graduate in this country can serve in the National Youth Service Corps Program at age 30 but cannot be gainfully employed thereafter on the fact that he/she is above 30 years, a situation that is a flagrant breach of his fundamental human rights.
“NOTES further that the circumstances described in the foregone presents the predicament of the Nigerian youth who has the requisite qualification, knowledge, skills and is ready to work but disqualified or excluded on the sole and unjustifiable ground that he/she is above the age limit by reason of his/her birth and this sad situation has led many to commit age fraud by going all way out to falsify their age to remain within the age limit of employability to the Nigerian Civil Service, and of course all other “employer of labour in the country.
“SENATE ACCORDINGLY RESOLVES TO;
“1. Urge the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to, immediately draw up policies that relate to equality of opportunity and treatment in access to employment at all levels.
“2. Further urge the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and other relevant agencies to prohibit and discourage public and private employers in Nigeria, from putting up job adverts with inherent undertone calculated to deprive any qualified Nigerian of being gainfully employed merely by reason of his/her age.”
Additional prayer by Senator Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi asking the Federal Civil Service Commission and the office of the Head of Service of the federation to revise their extant guidelines for appointments, promotion and discipline with a view to removing impediments and restrictions on account of age was also adopted.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, thanked Senator Moro for the Motion. He said he was equally worried by the rising unemployment level in the country occasioned by ‘age limit’ and wondered why Nigerian youths are discriminated against on the basis of age when it’s not their fault not to get job much earlier. He urged the relevant agencies to comply with the senate’s resolutions, to alleviate the pains and frustration of unemployed youths.
19th July, 2023