The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has barred married people from participating in its ongoing recruitment process.
According to Punch, the decision has been criticised by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
In a document titled, “Recruitment of Detective Assistants, Detective Inspectors and Detective Superintendents, which is dated January 15, 2020,” the EFCC stated that all applicants “must be single.”
For detective assistants, the EFCC stated that an applicant must not be more than 21 years old, must have Senior Secondary School Certificate and must be single.
For those applying to be detective inspectors, the commission stated that an applicant must not be more than 25, must have an NCE or a National Diploma and must be single.
For detective superintendent applicants, an applicant must not be more than 27, must have a first degree, must have completed the National Youth Service Corps programme and must be single.
Reacting to the development, the Director-General of NECA, Timothy Olawale, told PUNCH that the EFCC’s action was in contravention of International Labour Organisation’s conventions.
Olawale said, “The issue of inclusion is one of the problems we have in this country. We always find a way to exclude people. One of the principles of fair recruitment is fairness. What the EFCC has done is in contravention of ILO conventions.
“During recruitment, you don’t segregate any class. Even if you will apply some factors discretionally in the course of recruitment, you don’t make it public. What offence have married people committed?”
