NNPC: Lawyer threatens to drag oil corporation to court over recruitment criteria

An Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, has threatened to
drag the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) to court following what he described as “discriminatory”
recruitment process.

Olajengbesi, in a letter, addressed to the Group Managing
Director, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, on March 26, vowed to approach
the court to ensure protection of the fundamental rights of
Nigerians who were qualified to apply but were barred from
participating because of age criteria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the criteria for
Graduate Trainee among others require applicants to have graduated
from an accredited University/Polytechnic/Monotechnic not earlier
than 2014.

The criteria also required that applicants must not be more than
28 years of age as at Dec. 31, 2018.

Olajengbesi, however, pointed out that the criteria and process
violated section 3(e)(iv) of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement
Procedure) 2009, which protected the public interest of
Nigerians.

“Following the advertisement for the 2019 NNPC recruitment for
Graduate Trainee, Experienced Hires, Senior Officers and
Supervisory Cadre on your official website, dated March 13, 2019 of
which the criteria for application include that an applicant must
not be above the ages of 28, 34 and 37 respectively.

“I wish to express outright disapproval on the above set
criteria used by the Corporation in the ongoing recruitment as
being discriminatory, segregatory and exclusive to the disadvantage
of qualified Nigerians who may wish to participate in the
process.

“My disapproval of this age discriminatory recruitment process
is anchored on the provision of Section 42 of the constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which stops any
person, organisation or body from discriminating against any
citizen of Nigeria,” Olajengbesi said in the letter.

According to him, the action of NNPC also violates section 17(3)
of the Nigerian constitution which provides for the opportunity of
securing adequate means of livelihood and abhors all unequal
processes in the labour process.

The letter read in part, “The NNPC as a federal entity must be
at the vanguard of safeguarding and justifying this provision
through its dealings with the public.

“It is rather disheartening that an esteemed Corporation such as
NNPC has set itself on the path of total disregard of
constitutional provisions, while being an agent of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.”