Criteria for Recruitment: Your explanation is ridiculous, laughable- NAIG tackles NNPC

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, has described criteria advanced by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for its recent recruitment exercise as, “ridiculous and laughable”.

The Nigeria Oil Company in a widely syndicated press release made available to Fresh Angle International last night, Sunday May 24, explained that the recent recruitment of graduate trainees, experienced hire and promotion was based on "unblemished academic competence, logical thinking, ability to engage meaningfully in problem solving, in addition to federal character are key to becoming an employee of the corporation".

The press release which was signed by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, also stated that the basic academic requirement for newly employed Graduate Trainees in the Corporation is a minimum of a Second-Class Upper Division, or an Upper Credit for Higher National Diploma, HND, certificate holders, adding that alternatively, a candidate holding a Second Class Lower Division degree or an HND Lower Credit Diploma holder, must in addition have acquired a Master’s degree in a relevant field.

The apex Itsekiri graduates’ body in a swift reaction via a statement made exclusively to This Newspaper, this morning, Monday May 25, averred: “It is ridiculous and laughable that the NNPC could claim that to progress in its Management cadre, professional competence, accountability and transparency as well as ensuring national spread in top management positions, are critical factors that are not negotiable, when a look at the names of personnel at top management level clearly shows not only dominance of a particular section of the country but also dominance of a particular ethnic group as against Chapter 2 Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which clearly states as follows; The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies". 

The statement signed by the NAIG President, Comrade Collins Edema, declared further: “It is daylight witchcraft and broad day robbery for the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, to have stated that, the basic academic requirement for newly employed Graduate Trainees in the corporation is a minimum of a Second-Class Upper Division, or an Upper Credit for Higher National Diploma, HND, certificate holders. Alternatively, a candidate holding a Second Class Lower Division degree or an HND Lower Credit Diploma holder, must in addition have acquired a Master’s degree in a relevant field, when facts available to us clearly shows the opposite.”

NAIG emphasized: “We wish to place it on record that over a thousand qualified Itsekiri graduates applied for openings in the recent NNPC recruitment, especially the graduate Trainees category. Surprisingly, most of them were not shortlisted for the aptitude test and none employed, despite holding not just a Second Class Upper or Upper Credit Degrees, but also First Class and Master Degrees from reputable institutions around the world”.

“The way and manner that the recent NNPC recruitment was carried has once again showed that the Corporation is being run by a cabal of the Federal Government who only allow those with top government connections, to get employed. The management of the NNPC clearly breached the Nigerian Constitution by carrying out the recent recruitment to favour certain political interests and a particular ethnic group”, NAIG alleges.

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