The Senate on Wednesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to set up a committee to review the age limits for job seekers in the country to allow competent applicants to be employed.
The resolution followed the consideration of a motion by Senator Ibrahim Gobir.
Gobir cited Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, and noted that requirement of Ministries Departments and Agencies and other private bodies, which set age barriers, “inadvertently excludes and marginalises skilful and competent prospective applicants from participating in such exercises.”
He said, “Many individuals resort to falsifying their age all in a bid to fall within the required age limit for them to be gainfully employed.
“This development, where a person believes he is unemployable, can lead them to embracing criminal activities and further increase the growing crime rate and insecurity in the country.”
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In his contribution, Senator Bala Na’Allah drew the attention of the upper chamber to the Federal Government’s embargo on employment over 13 years ago.
He said the embargo period must be factored into the review of age limits by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity for prospective job seekers in the country.
“I think in the review, that has to be taken into account, and therefore, the age limit can now be raised in addition to the established age. That should be the legal verdict for the review,” Na’Allah said.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, condemned the discrimination against job seekers as a result of the barrier imposed by the prescribed age limit.
He said, “It is not through a fault of theirs that people are discriminated against. They’ll tell you only 30 years’ limit; meanwhile, someone graduated 10 years ago.”
Yetunde Adegoke
