Reps Task FG On Automatic Employment For First Class Graduates

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, charged the Federal Ministry of Education to liaise with relevant agencies to ensure automatic employment for  first class graduates from the country’s higher institutions.The House also mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and Services, and Labour, Employment and Productivity to ensure compliance with the resolution.This followed the adoption of a motion by Chinedu Emeka, on the “need  to grant automatic employment to first class graduates,” from higher institutions in the country.Emeka, in his lead debate, said although Nigerian universities produce hundreds of first class graduates every year, many o them find it difficult to secure employment and contribute to nation building.According to him, this development has forced some of the first class graduates“to leave the country and become assets to other countries that offer employment.”He added:”Some Universities award their first-class graduates with automatic employment as assistant lecturers or student lecturers in their specific courses.“Recently, the University of Lagos offered employment to no fewer than 100 graduates of the University who made First-Class in various fields of study in the University, and it is common knowledge that some firms in the country consider applicants with First-class honours before other categories of graduates, which is in line with global best practices.”However, the lawmaker expressed concern that “same job opportunities are not obtainable for First-class graduates in the Ministries  Departments and Agencies and Parastatals, who are by virtue of their position as government agencies, saddled with the responsibilities of driving the country’s economic and Infrastructural development.“Nigeria’s inability to leave the status of a developing nation may not be unconnected with the  insensitivity and lack of political will of the ruling class and policymakers to introduce a reward system that ensures that the best brains automatically occupy important positions according to their area of competence.“According to research, Nigeria has continued to unwittingly give away her best brains and intellectuals to other countries who by virtue of their robust policies on a value system, reward diligence and excellence as can be seen in the exodus of medical professionals from Nigeria to other countries.”