A Bill seeking to remove discrimination in employment on the basis of age of applicant yesterday passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
Consequent upon this the Federal Government is urged to remove the all barriers placed on employment of citizens of Nigeria in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government MDAs
This Bill sponsored by Hon. Sergius Ogun (Edo, PDP) has passed second reading in the House.
Ogun in his lead debate on Bill had noted that government departments particularly ministries, departments and agencies MDAs usually deprive of the right of employment based on age of the applicant.
According to him, the main objective of the proposed law is to eradicate the age barriers on employment into Federal Government agencies.
This new legislation he added is to ensure that no citizen of Nigeria is deprived of employment into government agencies on the basis of age.
The lawmaker pointed out that the enactment of the law would prohibit all Federal Government agencies from disqualifying qualified and competent youths seeking employment who may be above the specified age but not above fourty-five years from employment.
He explained age discrimination as a situation where a person who is ordinarily qualified for employment is disqualified by reason of being of age specified in the recruitment conditions.
He also defined job seekers refers are persons seeking to be gainfully employed in any establishment of the federal government of Nigeria.
The Speaker Hon.Yakubu Dogara subsequently passed the Bill through second reading and committed it to the House Committee on Labour,Employment and Productivity for further inputs.