The 10th Senate under the leadership of Sen. Godswill Akpabio has taken a strong position against age limit as a criterion for employment in any public or private establishment in the country.
This followed a resolution of the Senate at Wednesday, July 19 plenary which came on the hills of a debate titled; “Age Requirement Precondition for Employment in Nigeria, Urgent Need for Intervention” and sponsored by Benue State Senator Abba Moro of PDP.
Sen. Moro argued that age limit as a criterion for employment violates chapter 4, section 42(2) of the 1999 Constitution which guarantees every citizen the right to freedom from discrimination.
Moro registered that it was pathetic for a graduate in Nigeria who could not get a job upon graduation and decided to return to school, hoping that a higher qualification, vis-a-vis a second or Master’s Degree, could give him a better employment opportunity to be told that, not his competences but age has denied him a job.
“It is ironic that a graduate in this country can serve in the National Youth Service Corps programme at age 30 but cannot be gainfully employed, thereafter on the fact that he/ she is now above 30 years; a situation that is a flagrant breach of his fundamental rights.
“The circumstances described in the foregoing present the predicament of the Nigerian youth who has the requisite qualification, knowledge, and 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,” the senator said.
Mr Moro said the sad situation had led many to commit age fraud by falsifying their age to remain within the age limit of employability in the Nigerian Civil Service and all other employers of labour in the country.
In its resolution, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, and other relevant agencies to restrict and discourage public and private employers from depriving millions of job seekers of employment opportunities merely for not meeting age requirements.