The House of Representatives sought
tougher measures on Thursday to restrict the employment of foreign
nationals by firms or organisations in the country.
A bill to “restrict” the issuance of work permits to foreigners by the Federal Government passed second reading at the House.
The bill, which was sponsored by the
Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, was the House’s
response to how to address the growing unemployment in the country.
The bill, an amendment to the Immigration Act, 2015, raised the penalty for violation from the extant N1m to N2m.
In addition, it provided that foreigners
would be considered for a job only when it was proven that no Nigerian
possessed the requisite qualifications for the job.
In October last year, the House had also
passed a resolution urging the government to declare “state of
emergency” in the labour market in the country.
Defending the latest bill, Gbajabiamila said it was a further step taken by the legislature to find solutions to unemployment.
He gave details of the provisions of the
bill, “Consequently, Sections 36 is being amended basically to further
restrict and regulate employment of foreign nationals/expatriates and to
provide for stiffer punishment for violators of the provisions of the
Act.
“Section 36 provides for residence and employment of foreign nationals in Nigeria.
‘Section 36 (1). No person other than a
citizen of Nigeria shall accept employment (not being employment with
the federal, state of local governments) without the consent in writing
of the Comptroller-General of Immigration: or
‘On his own account or in partnership
with any other person, practice a profession or establish or take over
any trade or business whatsoever or register or take over any company
with limited liability for any such purpose without the consent in
writing given on such by or on behalf of such persons as the Minister
may prescribe.’
“Section 36 (2) ‘Any person desirous of
entering Nigeria for any of the purposes in sub-section (1) of this
section, shall produce the consent of the Comptroller-General of
Immigration to an immigration officer; and the failure to do so shall be
an offence, and any person who commits such an offence shall be liable
on conviction to a fine of N1m or deportation or both as a prohibited
immigrant.’
“Sub-section 2 above is being amended to
ensure that any foreign nationals seeking employment in Nigeria must
undertake in a manner prescribed by the Comptroller-General of
Immigration to comply with the provisions of section 40 of the Act.
“Section 38 is also being amended by
deleting the existing sub-sections 3, 4,5 and 5 and creating new
sub-sections 3,4,5, and 6, which provide that before any person of
foreign national is employed, it must be ascertained that no Nigerian is
qualified and available to take up the job.
“This is in line with the state of emergency, which the unemployment motion demands from the federal government to declare.
“Although, the comptroller-general
reserves the right to exempt any one from this provision and that right
must be exercised in the interest of Nigeria.
“Penalty for violators is raised from N1m to N2m.
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