The Nation Newspaper

Tag: job

  • Age discrimination and job seekers

    SIR: Discrimination  like  a  cancerous  cell  grows  when  tolerated,  stunts  development  and  decelerates  productivity. In  every  facet  of  our  national history,  we  seem  to  be making  progress  at  a  snail  crawling  speed  when compared  with  nations  who  became  independent  same  time  with  us.

    Unemployment  rate  in  Nigeria  increased  to  10.40  percent  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2015, which  is  roughly  eight million Nigerians. It  is  in  Nigeria  that  students  attend  universities  for  a  four -year  course  and  end  up  spending  seven  years as  a  result  of  numerous  strikes  by varsity  lecturers  and  forced  recesses  occasioned  by  unrest.

    It  is  in  Nigeria  that  graduates  would  search  frantically  for  five,  seven  and  even  nine  years  for  jobs  without success. Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  is  so  unkind  for  employers  to  put  more  pressure  and  pauperize  he  already traumatized  job  seeker  as  a  result  of  age  discrimination.

    In  civilized  nations,  many  labour  laws  have  been  enacted  against  age  discrimination  in employment matters. For  example  in  1967,  under  the  U.S   Age discrimination  in  employment  Act,  it  is  unlawful  to  fail  to  hire or  sack  someone  on  the  grounds  of  age  if  the  employee  is  over  40. Also  the  U.K  Age  Discrimination  in  employment  Act  of  2006  makes  it  unlawful  to  deny  any  age  group employment  as  long  as  one is  within  the  legal  working  age.

    The  advanced  countries  with  anti-age  discrimination  laws  have  made  enviable  strides  in  social  justice  by creating  a  level  playing  field  for  all  their  capable  citizenry  at  the  workplace.

    A  negative  effect  of  this  age  discrimination  by  employers  of  labour  is  that  it  makes  many  Nigerians  to declare  false  ages  to  be  eligible  for  employment. In  many  countries  of  the  world,  employment  practices  are  based  on  skills  and  competence  rather  than age,  but  in  Nigeria,  employers  especially  the  government,  who  should  lead  by  not  throwing  away competent  hands,  deny  employment  to  its  citizenry.

    Most  banks,  through  various  Human  Resources  Organizations  deny  many  Nigerians  contract  employment  if you  are  above  24  years  or  26  years  if  lucky. If  this  government  that  got  huge  votes  from  the  teeming  unemployed  youths,  now  deny  same  by  tagging its  vacancy  in  the  EFCC  recruitment at  27  years,  thereby  shutting  out  the  skillful and competent  hands  from  serving  their  fatherland, it  is  disheartening  and  unpatriotic.

    We  are  in  the  21st  century;  the  federal  legislators  should  be  deliberating  about  laws  that engender  unity, foster  rapid  development,  bring  about  attitudinal  change  and  not  the  comical  relief  they  are  reeling  with Saraki  today,  budget  controversy  tomorrow.

    The  President  should  do  the  needful  by  issuing  a  Presidential  directive  against  age  discrimination  towards job -seekers  so  as  not  to  shut  out  talented,  passionate  and  patriotic  citizens. It  was  on  the  basis  of  competence  and  passion that our  beloved  President  was  elected  as  against  those  that termed  him  too  old  and  incompetent.

     

    • Rosemary Kevwe,

    Lagos.

  • 26 dons for UNIJOS top job

    TWENTY-SIX professors are in the race for the top job at the University of Jos (UNIJOS).

    They are being screened this week as possible replacement for Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, whose tenure as vice chancellor ends on June 20.

    Prominent on list of internal candidates are: Prof. Ezekiel Best, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, who is favoured because of the cordial relationship he has with many workers and students; Prof Dung Pam Sha, Director, Office of Research, whose inaugural lecture drew a large percentage of the university community, is regarded as an excellent academic and administrator; Prof Audu Gambo, former Director, Centre for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, credited for reducing cultism during his tenure as Dean of Students affairs; Prof Yilkur Lohdip, Director Academic Planning, who is making his second attempt at the post; and Prof Sebastian Maimako, dean, Management Sciences, noted for his passion for the university.

    Others are Prof Isaac Lar (English Department, known to be principled); Prof Umar Danfulani (former Dean of Arts, who came second in the interview that produced Mafuyai); Prof G. O. Akpa, former V.C, Kwararafa University, Wukari); Prof Thomas Bingel (History); Prof Andrew Haruna (vice chancellor, Federal University, Gashua); Prof Francis Ojaide (Accounting); Prof H. A. Lar (Geosciences); Prof Dimis Mailafia (Economics); Prof Abraham Mallum (Education); Prof Daniel Dabi (Geography and Regional Planning); Prof N. K. Dakum (former  Dean of Medical Sciences), and the only female candidate, Prof Naomi James Rugu, Director of SIWES.

    Seven candidates from other universities are: Prof Ashom Musa (University of Abuja); Prof Bala Dogo ( NDA University), Prof J.S.Rabo, Prof. E.J Nwana, Prof D.I Jaja, Prof. Rasheed Ijodda and Dr. Joseph Maangut.

    Members of the UNIJOS community are worried about the high number of candidates – the highest in the history of the 40 year-old institution, and probably in Nigeria.

    The Governing Council, chaired by Chief Don Etiebet, and some members of the university Senate, will  interview and announce the winner within 24 hours.

    Last Thursday, the candidates interacted with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which provided a platform for members of the university community to know them.

    Meanwhile, 52-year-old Monday Danjem, has been named Registrar of the university. He beat three others to the post.

    Chief Danjem earned his first degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Master’s in Public Administration from UNIJOS. He was Deputy Registrar, Senior Staff  Establishment, and later Deputy Registrar, V.C‘s office. He will assume office on June 21.

  • Women entrepreneurs advised on job creation  

    Alldens Lane, a business advisory and consulting firm with a  focus on supporting women-owned enterprises, has urged  women entrepreneurs to embrace the strategic position of job creation.

    Founder and Principal of Alldens Lane,  Ruka Sanusi, quoting Forbes Insight report,said that today’s young and emerging business leaders  will ultimately create responsive African solutions to Africa’s critical economic and social challenges.

    According to the study, Nigeria stands out among the Sub-Saharan countries surveyed by Forbes Insights in that it has the highest number of young people wanting to be entrepreneurs. Nigeria-specific case studies reveal that, when asked about what the top drivers of job creation for young people will be over the next five years, 40 per cent of respondents pointed to entrepreneurship and SMEs, she stated.

    On the question of the entities that will create the most jobs for young people over the next five years in Nigeria,  she said: “ From surveys, while 56 per cent  pointed to government, public and social sector, a significant 51 per cent  said it would be entrepreneurs and business owners who would make a difference in people’s lives by providing employment”. She added that women’s entrepreneurs’ role in advancing the economy, creating and offering jobs would be a key driver of economic growth. She agreed with Ernst and Young’s report on how women-owned businesses can recharge the global economy. It will be recalled the report states that to help women-owned businesses grow and create jobs, there needs to be a deliberate improvement in their access to capital, the global supply chain and business networks, all of which can help them scale. The report also states that data from The World Bank, The World Economic Forum and other organisations continue to demonstrate that women-owned businesses can be the tipping point for a global economic comeback.

    Ms. Sanusi added, “Running a business successfully needs focused, deliberate leadership and women entrepreneurs and CEOs can lead the way in that regard through purposeful and transformational leadership”.

    She added that her firm had  a unique focus on providing women-owned and women-led enterprises with advisory support, business direction, and thought provoking business performance and growth analytics, from which they can grow and transform their businesses and  lives.

  • Legislature’s job not to prepare budget estimates for executive

    SIR: The current face – off between the Presidency and the National Assembly (NASS) over whether or not the President should sign into law the 2016 Budget passed by the National Assembly without the details of the heads of expenditure estimates allocated to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) provides Nigerians a unique opportunity to reflect and determine once and for all, whether it is the duty of legislators to prepare estimates for MDAS. The current controversy has arisen because, according to reports, the NASS had sent “estimates of the budget” as passed to the President for signing into law while it was still working on the details of the allocations to the various MDAS. I strongly maintain the view that the duty of legislators is not to prepare the estimates of MDA’s but to vet and approve estimates of MDA’s presented by the executive. For the National Assembly therefore, to expect the Presidency to sign into law budget items without details of the allocations to spending MDA’s smacks of a fundamental breach to the doctrine of separation of powers. It seems the legislature is attempting to take over the responsibility for policy execution which properly belongs to the executive arm of government.

    Attempts to gloss over and compromise this fundamental principle of separation of powers in a presidential system are fraught with grave dangers for the realization of democracy and good governance anchored on unhindered access to information, accountability, and service delivery. For instance, if the President as the head of the executive arm has no prior information as to what the legislature allocates to a ministry as an executive agency, he may not be able to properly direct and co-ordinate programme implementation. Budget padding and financial leakages can easily go on undetected. Secondly, if the legislature allocates fund to projects not captured in the manifesto of the President, the legislature could find it difficult to hold it to account for performance, while the electorates who voted on the basis of the President’s manifesto are short changed.

    Moreover, the oversight role of the legislature could be held in suspect if it is perceived that it is the same legislature that initiated and sponsored the allocation outside the knowledge of executive, who is also going out for auditing. On the other hand, legislative oversight will be more meaningful if it is believed that it is being carried out with utmost integrity and desire to preserve the independence of the legislative arm.

    Considering the implications, our National Assembly has a duty to help strengthen our nascent democracy by conducting the management of public finance with strict discipline even though they may have the freedom to legislate on any and all aspects of governance. It is for this reason that Section 81(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended specifically states as follow:

    “The President shall cause to be prepared and laid before each House of the National Assembly at any time in each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditures of the Federation for the next following financial year.”

    In other words, while the National Assembly has the power to pass the Appropriation Bill, due process and the doctrine of separation of powers demand that it should only pass the Bill on the basis of estimates duly prepared and laid before it by the President. The legislature ought not to presume and proceed to estimate and allocate monies the President does not ask for via an estimate presented by him. Unless those driving our on-going processes of evolving a culture of presidential system of government rooted in transparency, separation of powers, service delivery and accountability imbibe these fundamental disciplines, our journey to good governance could take longer than necessary.

     

    • Sir Sunday U. Akpan,

    Akwa Ibom State.

  • SUPER EAGLES JOB: Amuneke favoured

    SUPER EAGLES JOB: Amuneke favoured

    • Siasia busy with Olympics
    • Yusuf, Agu, backroom staff remain

    There are strong indications that former Golden Eaglets’ World Cup winning tactician, Emmanuel Amuneke will be given the Super Eagles chief coach job, ahead of Samson Siasia who is expected to resume with the country’s Olympic Games squad in Abuja today.

    Sportinglife gathered that Amuneke is being favoured because of his coaching qualifications which tower above Siasia, with word rife that Amuneke, shocked his employers when he proceeded to Spain for a coaching refresher course after guiding the Eaglets to lift the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year.

    Sportinglife scooped further that Amuneke is listed as the Eagles chief coach in the new dispensation that should have Frenchman Paul Le Guen as the team’s Technical Adviser only if the Sports Minister Solomon Dalung is swayed by arguments that chieftians of the NFF would proffer in thier meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf, the team team’s goalkeeper trainer Alloy Agu and other backroom staff would keep their positions, ahead of the two international friendly games slated to hold in London in June.

    Indeed, the NFF chiefs have no plans to sack siasia, who is presently occupied with the country’s preparations for the Olympics in Brazil. He has been assured of a place in the Eagles whenever he compltetes his assignment wiht the dream Team VI.

  • FG to create 3 million jobs next 3 years

    The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday said that the Federal Government is planning to create about 3 million jobs in the next three years.

    The 3 year job plan, he said, is expected to come from the Technology, Wholesale and Retail, Construction and Agro-allied sectors of the Nigerian economy, while 700,000 jobs, which would be private sector driven, would come from the Agro-allied sector.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, it was contained in the report of an implementation of job plan titled “Strategic Framework & Implementation Plan for Job Creation & Youth Employment in Nigeria, submitted to Osinabjo by the Job creation Unit (JCU) of the Presidency and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Receiving the report, the Vice President said “We are in a situation now when the only way is up,” thanking the NESG “for working so hard on this project.”

    Osinbajo who expressed excitement and hope recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had set job creation as the central focus of government policy when he instructed that policy planning must address the question of, “how many jobs would the policy create?”

    Stressing that job creation might be “painfully slow,” Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Buhari presidency was addressing the constraints that businesses face including regulatory and institutional delays.

    He said that government and the private sector needed to work together to produce positive results.

    “I am extremely excited at all that is available. We really have everything we need, we just need to get it right” he said

    Speaking earlier at the meeting, the chairman of the NESG, Mr. Kyari A. Bukar noted that “NESG is honored to be part of the Committee, and we commit to collaborate with the JCU whilst leveraging our vast private sector network to collectively solve the unemployment challenges Nigeria faces.”

    He said that the NESG  “have had the opportunity to review the Strategic Framework & Implementation Plan for Job Creation developed by the JCU, with the support of Dahlberg, and understand the urgency in addressing unemployment in Nigeria”.

    He urged the federal government to address the sectoral constraints of job creation particularly in the four selected sectors of Technology, Wholesale & Retail, Construction and Agro-allied businesses.

  • SUPER EAGLES JOB: Micho is favourite

    SUPER EAGLES JOB: Micho is favourite

    AfricanFootball.com can exclusively reveal today that Uganda coach, Sredojevic  Milutin aka Micho is in line to be named Nigeria’s next coach after the temporary coaching combination led by Samson Siasia has completed their mandate.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have already opened up discussions with experienced Serbian coach, Micho and his representatives since the CHAN in Rwanda.

    Top sources informed AfricanFootball.com that the technical committee chairman, Chris Green  met with Micho in Rwanda over the Eagles top coaching post and everything is now pointing to the former Rwanda and Orlando Pirates of South Africa coach to take over the Eagles after the two-match mandate given Siasia and his assistants.

    “Green met with Micho at CHAN and it is like it is already a done deal. The plan was to appoint Shuaibu Amodu for the Egypt matches and after those games, a substantive foreign coach will be named with Micho already in pole position,” a top official told AfricanFootball.com.

    “But Amodu declined the post because he is hypertensive and so the temporary arrangement of Siasia and co, who have been clearly told they will revert to their previous posts after the matches against Egypt.”

    Another source also told AfricanFootball.com: “Micho’s representatives have told me they have established a link with the NFF for quite some time now.”

    It will also be recalled that former Nigeria international Tijjani Babangida, who was Sunday Oliseh’s special assistant, has alleged representatives of Herve Renard informed them NFF officials again led by Green attempted to offer Oliseh’s job to the former Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire coach.

    Micho is 46 and he has proved his tactical prowess and wealth of knowledge across Africa – from Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda to Uganda – and it will be a track record that will come in handy when the 2018 World Cup qualifiers get underway in October.

  • ‘He is the man for the job’

    ‘He is the man for the job’

    French Football Federation chief Noel Le Graet says Gianni Infantino is “the man for the job” after the Swiss was elected the new president of Fifa.

    Infantino, who will relinquish his previous role as Uefa general secretary, was voted in on Friday after receiving the backing of 115 federations in the second round of polling at the extraordinary congress in Zurich and will replace disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter.

    It was a result which delighted Le Graet, who told the FFF’s official website: “The French Football Federation welcomes the victory of Gianni Infantino as president of Fifa.

    “This congress was also an opportunity to review the organisation of Fifa.

    “Gianni Infantino and the new governance mark a new era for Fifa, which must start on a better footing and put football at its heart.

    “I am sure that Gianni is the man for the job.

    “He is a man of action who was able to reconcile the interests of all federations, large or small, within Uefa. I give him my full support and the FFF will be at his service to complete the regeneration of Fifa.”

  • Lagos partners FG on job creation

    Lagos State government yesterday disclosed plans by the Federal Government to assist in provision of jobs for unemployed youths in the state.

    The decision followed an official visit by the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, to Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalong, in Abuja.

    Speaking on Thursday in Lagos, Princess Akinbile-Yussuff, disclosed that all plans have been concluded by the Federal Government towards assisting the state in the area of job creation youths who are not gainfully employed in Lagos State.

    She said: “The meeting has just begun to yield positive results. The minister has promised to work in tandem with Lagos State government in alleviating poverty and more importantly, providing jobs for teeming Lagos youths through creation of more job opportunities and empowerment programmes.

    “In addition to the efforts by our amiable governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode in job creation, we also need to solicit for support of the federal government for lasting solutions to unemployment in our society.

  • Did anybody go to jail? NIS recruitment: Job, Money or Death!

    I remember sharing a bottle of drink with two of my South African friends in Randburg.  I knew the self-acclaimed largest economy in Africa would come to the table for mockery. Dr. Reuben smiled and made a joke about my country-that if he needs to choose a country in the second world, he would request to come as a Nigerian. Very unpleasant statement for me, but had to put up a cool face. He said Nigerians are human beings like any other Americans, Europeans or Asians, but they act like animals. Anything goes and no question is asked in your country, Bimboo. For example, he asked if anybody went to jail after the tragedy that happened in 2014.

    I promised myself to revisit this shameless process that took innocent souls,  refresh our minds about it and wake up authority, in case they are still sleeping like my new baby boy, Temidun.

    Saturday, the 15th march 2014 was a black Saturday for families whose loved ones set out to take part in the Nigerian immigration Aptitude test but never returned home… Killed in the stampede that ensued.

    Most of the applicants were told to arrive the venue as early as 7am but the test was supposedly originally stated for 3pm.

    Some lucky job seekers are alive to tell the story. According to our listeners, authorities of National Hospital, Abuja, confirmed seven persons among 67,000 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) job applicants in the FCT dead.

    The applicants had converged at the National stadium, Abuja, one of the venues for the test to fill 5000 vacancies in NIS and many were said to have arrived at the centre before 6a.m.

    The service had fixed the test nationwide for 7000 available jobs. However, a Stampede ensued at the FCT  centre about 7a.m, when the screening of candidates was to start for the test scheduled for 4p.m.

    Mr. Tayo Hassstrup, the spokesman for the hospital, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that seven, five women and two men were brought in dead and that the bodies had been deposited at the mortuary.

    The hospital received some casualties from the stampede from the ongoing Immigration recruitment at the National Stadium.

    He said the hospital was stabilizing those brought in unconscious from the stampede, while other casualties had been taken to other hospitals, including Asokoro General Hospital.

    While, in Lagos, the thousand of job seekers invited to take an aptitude test by NIS have took control of all access roads to the National Stadium, Lagos. They started chanting anti-government songs and not ready to go home, after all, they have no jobs. So what is the need to return home!

    NAN recalls that in 2008, no fewer than 20 people died in various states of the federation during a similar exercise conducted by the ministry of interior for Nigeria Prisons Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and customs Service.

     

    My questions are simple friends! Is it true people paid 1000 naira to apply to die? How much was made from this test? And where is the money? Can we have the list of the applicants that finally got these jobs? I need answers before I visit my friends soon in Randburg this January.