The journey started on the March 13, 2019, when the NNPC welcomed applications for various job openings within the organisation.
These vacancies were categorized into two: Graduate Trainees (GT) and the Experienced Hires (EH). This news was greeted with joy and enthusiasm among the youth of this country where unemployment is rife. Subsequently, the organisation said over 60,000 applicants were shortlisted for Computer Based Test (CBT) with centers in various locations across the nation.
The test was conducted on June 1, 2019, and commentators attested to its well organized process. The comprehensive interview stage of the recruitment process was conducted centrally at the organidation’s headquarters in Abuja from July1-11, 2019.
This saw thousands among the best young minds in Nigeria travelling from far and near. Worthy of mention is the fact that against all odds, the management of the corporation ably led by Malam Mele Kolo Kyari has shown its willingness to restructure the organisation and ensure the implementation of the new mantra of the administration, TAPE (Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence) by ensuring resumption and virtual on boarding of the GTs.
It goes a long way to show continuity of positive legacies and processes initiated by the immediate past leadership of Dr. Maikanti Baru, who saw the need to fill the lacunae with both fresh hands (GT) and intelligent, dynamic and experienced hands (EH). However, a very big question has been left unanswered in all of these narrations and this directly relates to the status of the Experienced Hire (EH) category of the recruitment.
Ever since the corporation stated on February 14, 2020, while announcing the appointment of the graduate trainees via official channels, that the EH component will be addressed in due course, there has been a deafening silence on the progress of recruitment of the Experienced Hire category. This has led to a lot of speculations in the expectant individuals and concerned citizens.
This is because many have banked on the TAPE mantra of the Kyari administration to also close out the entire rigorous recruitment process concerning the experience hire just as was done for graduate trainees.
Furthermore, the magnitude of resources already put into the commendable recruitment process must not be allowed to go down the drain, even as it’s almost four months after the announcement of the conclusion of GT recruitment and over one year after the entire recruitment process was initiated without getting any status update from the corporation concerning the Experienced Hire .
We therefore request that just as was done for the Graduate Trainees in fairness and accountable milieu, the Experienced Hire should be called to resume work in the corporation without further delay to contribute from their wealth of knowledge, dynamism and technologically driven ideas to take the corporation and indeed, Nigeria to great heights. In conclusion, we must say that as concerned citizens, it is the earnest expectation of every Nigerian, having invested our trust and belief in the integrity of the NNPC to positively close out the recruitment process, that the management of NNPC should call the Experienced Hires who truly merit it to resume work without further delay. God bless NNPC, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Adamu Umar,
Kaduna
