Why I Led Motion To Relax Age Requirement For Employment — Sen Moro

Senator Abba Moro, the lawmaker representing Benue South District, has explained that he sponsored the motion due to the large number of Nigerian youths and students that have been denied jobs following the age barrier.

Moro spoke in Abuja, when the Coalition of Nigerian Youths and Students Association led by its convener, Comrade Aloys Akortsaha, paid the Senator a courtesy call.

They came in the company of the National Union of Nigerian Students, NANS, IPUSU Community Youths Forum, Tiv Youths Development Association and the Agricultural Produce Sellers Association of Nigeria, APSAN.

You will recall that Senator Abba Moro led a motion in July 2023, titled “Age Requirement Pre-condition for Employment in Nigeria, Urgent Need for Intervention”, seeking the Senate to address the issue which has rendered academically qualified persons unemployable.

Explaining in details what inspired the motion, Moro said, “I come from a constituency that has been drastically affected by the unemployment situation in Nigeria. In an attempt to encourage my constituents I have also met a brick wall, in such that when they cannot immediately get employment, I request for them to go to school.

“But unfortunately like I noticed in that my motion, I discovered that as soon as they finish their Master and PhD degrees, they have grown beyond the age Nigerians want to employ. Because of the dynamism in our society I felt that we should encourage employers and organisations to relax some of the guidelines and policies that inhibit regular employment of our youths who have graduated from school.

“So there was a compelling need for me to bring it into the public domain to discuss and also to influence the employers of labour especially the government to review this policy on age of employment. It is important for me to say that the proposal that I made in my motion was not essentially to impose employees on employers contrary to the insinuations making the rounds, that’s not the intent of the motion.

“The intent was for Nigerians to appreciate the dynamic nature of our society and the predicament that we face in Nigeria now in terms of unemployment, the rate now is at 30 percent, certainly this is unacceptable, we just have to create the enabling environment to get youths employed otherwise we would be sitting on a time bomb, like they say a hungry man is an angry man. I think it is a timely legislative intervention and I thank you for your visit”.

He assured the Nigerian youths and students of his continued support in ensuring that many youths are taken off the streets through sponsoring motions and bills at the red chamber.

“Finally I want to assure you of my partnership with the Nigerian youths in ensuring that your interest and the interests of the Nigerian youths are adequately catered for” Moro stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, representing the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Enzor Ezah, appreciated Senator Moro and expressed full support for him.

He said, “We are here as Nigerian youths and students to applaud your initiative to move the motion that will serve Nigerian youths. We are solidly behind you, if you can do this to our youths, crime rates will be reduced and it will better our lives the more”.

Speaking in the same vein, Convener, Coalition of Nigerian Youths and Students Association, Aloys Akortsaha, said the Association plans on staging a national protest in support of Moro’s motion and also to eradicate the age barrier.

According to him, “The Coalition of Nigerian Youths and Student Association had brought an idea to agitate against age barrier, while doing that, we observed that Senator Abba Moro was already in the vanguard of putting a stop to this and that he has already sponsored a motion to eradicate the barrier.

“So upon hearing this, we decided to come together to rally round him, appreciate and encourage him to carry ahead the youth-oriented course. Very soon, we will organise a national protest in support of what Senator Moro is doing and to protest against the existing policy that once you are 30 and above you cannot work in a Nigerian society”.