Reps Demand Upward Review Of Age Requirement For Employment In MDAs

The House resolved that the age limit of 30 years for most vacancies advertised in the federal government ministries and agencies should be raised to 40 years. The House hereby urged all MDAs whose recruitment processes are ongoing to reopen their application portal for interested applicants above 30 years to apply. The House however mandated it’s committees of Labour, Employment and Publicity and National Planning and Economic Development to review the employability criteria of all MDAs to ensure justice on this matter. The House also directed it’s committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance to the resolution. Member representing Ikorodu federal constituency of Lagos State, Hon Babajinmi Benson, in a motion under matters of urgent public importance noted the age barrier in vacancies announced by Nigerian Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Prison Service, Fire Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria and other federal government agencies, denied eligible candidates of the opportunity to apply. Benson expressed worries about unemployment rate in the country, noting that a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2016 showed that the situation is prevalent for persons between 15-35 years of age. This according to him negate efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in trying to reduce unemployment ratio in the country. Benson who observed that the unstable educational system in the country makes it difficult to determine and plan the age of graduation of students from tertiary educational institutions noted that most vacancies in government establishments require that applicants must not be more than 30 years as at the time of applying for such vacancies. He explained that discrimination of applicants on the basis of age is a breach of the fundamental human rights of citizens as contained in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. He also noted that the anomaly would deny potential applicants the opportunity to be gainfully employed since the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme aimed at fostering nation cohesion begs its admissible at 30 years of age.]]>