I was a first-hand witness to the a recruitment process into one of the government agencies and bore witness to the sad reality of job seekers being more than job opportunities. The job interview slated for 8am did not commence until some minutes to 2pm. The veteran job seekers who had mastered the timing went home only to return later in the afternoon. Being a novice myself, I had wondered where they got this audacity. I was to be enlightened that a number of the job seekers are not first time job seekers. The sea of heads was frightening, for less than one hundred and fifty vacancies. Each candidate is encouraged that the much awaited opportunity could just be this one. As exams commenced, some staff of the agency could be seen lurking around. They each had one or two candidates taking the exams. They would talk to anybody, from the cleaner to top staff, about the candidates. I saw faces, disappointed faces. I saw hopelessly hopeful faces. I saw helpless vividly on the faces of some of the candidates. They would heed any instruction. It is stating the obvious that some of these candidates would do just anything to enhance their chances of being employed.
The Nigerian situation has made these ones desperate to have and keep a job. It was there I saw those who had higher qualifications applying for jobs meant for holders of secondary school certificate. They have assumed that once they get into the system they will present the higher certificate. The practice was the norm some years back, but it has since changed.
Then I understood...
Then I understood that some of the clerical staff I share the office with fall in this category. They had applied for a job below their academic qualification because they had no job for years. They were encouraged that their fortune would turn around once they are absorbed into the system, but lo, a policy was introduced, halting the practice. Hence one could see clerical staff with BSc. Pathetically, a number of them have had to return to school for another four to five years. Understanding this made me respect the clerical staff that I come in contact with the more. And there are doctors who probably would look down on these ones. Mere clerical staff they will call them, oblivious of the fact that the difference between them is just an opportunity. I doff my cap for the courage of these ones, not forgetting that a number of factors could have influenced their choices. I salute the courage of these ones, and I think the government should, that these ones choose to do the 'dirty' job rather than being street miscreants that terrorise the society. I strongly feel the government owes them a great deal of applause for treading this path. They could have, by the power of self-will, chose to rob law abiding citizens and terrorise government institutions, and justify their lack of jobs for their nefariousness. Such has been the profession of some arrested bandits.
Did somebody say that?
Did somebody say that taking to robbery is a mere excuse for lack of employment? Who knows! There will be some who do because of this. The excuse is still tenable once the government hasn't done the needful. For instance, one might blame any unemployed if he isn't registered with N-power, a means of alleviating the mass unemployment of youths in Nigeria. But where there are no genuine means of alleviating the plight of the unemployed, you never can tell what such can turn out to be the next moment, depriving us of the moral status of being judge of his social misdeeds as a result.
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