The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to reconsider the age limit contained in its recent vacancy notice to avoid mass protests.
The association made the call on Thursday in a statement jointly signed by Comrades Abubakar Muhammed Gambo and Idowu Odebunmi, Senate President and Chairman Anti-corruption Committee of NANS, respectively.
According to NANS, the Corporation cannot claim ignorance of challenges of tertiary education in the country.
“The NNPC cannot claim ignorance of the many challenges that attend our educational system and how these have greatly stretched degree programmes in public owned institutions.
“It is on record that the recent employment process of the NNPC automatically disqualifies job seekers above the age of 28 and all who obtained a degree certification beyond 2014.
“The criteria for employment being canvassed and pursued by the Corporation, is not only discriminatory but also unpatriotic and reminiscent of an autocratic institution,” it said.
The association queried the logic behind the criteria for employment by the NNPC as it adversely affected youths and others inherently qualified for employment.
“It is the height of bureaucratic excess and overreach for the NNPC to deign to place an age ceiling over expertise.
“Age should not determine the fate of a million job seekers on a discriminatory whim with no bearing on the dynamics of our time,” NAN quoted the association as saying.
