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From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Senate, yesterday, resolved to consider the removal of age limits as a required precondition for job seekers.
It stated this while deliberating on a motion sponsored by Abba Moro, yesterday, noting that age constraint has increased unemployment in the country amid the harsh economic situation.
The motion was sequel to a resolution passed by the Senate after it set up a committee led by Abdullahi Adamu with the mandate to consider the expulsion of age prerequisites from job advertorials.
Moro pointed out that employers who specify age limit as part of their employment requirements were violating 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.
He emphasised that setting age limit for a job seeker is a form of employment discrimination, explaining the Nigerian unemployment situation, he narrated that unemployed graduates due to their inability to secure a job after obtaining their first degree and completing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) decide to return to school to obtain a higher degree in order to boost their chances of securing employment.
Moro, however, lamented that despite securing higher degrees like Masters, job seekers remain unemployed as they find themselves above the age limit set by most employers.
“The circumstances described by age requirements presents the predicament of the Nigerian youths who have the requisite qualification, knowledge, skills and 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.
“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.”
The lawmaker said it was unacceptable to deny employment to a graduate who possesses the requisite qualification, knowledge, physical and mental skills and is readiness to work on the basis of age.
While calling on the Senate to mandate public and private employers to remove age limits from their employment requirements, he also argued that it was ironical that graduates in the country were allowed to participate in the NYSC programme at age 30 but cannot be gainfully employed thereafter on the fact that he/she is above 30 years, a situation he described as a flagrant breach of fundamental human rights.
Giving his nod to the motion, Senator representing Enugu West, Osita Ngwu, narrated a true life situation where a friend of his in the process of securing a job after graduation falsified his age on different occasions. He urged the Senate to prohibit and discourage public and private employers putting age limits in their job adverts in order to prevent such fraudulent practices adding that the deprivation of qualified graduates will continue if age limits weren’t expunged from job advertorials.
However, Senator Adams Oshiomhole disagreed with the motion saying it would be unconstitutional for the Senate to mandate employers to remove age limits.
The former labour union leader explained that though there was no law in the country which prevents employers from employing graduates above the age of 30, it would be absurd for the Senate to impose employment criteria for employers in the country.
The Senate accordingly directed the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and Productivity to immediately draw up policies that relate to equality of opportunity and treatment in access to employment at all levels.
In addition the Senate urged the Civil Service Commission and Head of Service to urgently address issues of discrimination experienced by job seekers in the country.
