RE: University Degree and HND disparity in Nigeria Civil Service
August 17, 2008 by 
Guest Writer
SOS TO THE PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ALHAJI UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA
This is to appeal to the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to use his good office to implement the much publicized, recently concluded removal of the existing dichotomy in the conditions of appointments/service of the holders of first degree and HND.
It is a thing of regret that two years after the Federal Executive Council’s recommendation of the removal of the undue dichotomy and ceiling on the Salary Grade Level/Rank attainable by Higher National Diploma holders in the Civil Service (ref: Government White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Committee on the Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Sector, Chapter 6 Section 6.2 of December 2006 pages31/32 ), the implementation strategies and time fixed at “medium term” are yet to materialize till the present moment.
In a nation where people’s aspirations are directed at serving the fatherland with love, strength, faith, heart and might; calling for leaders to be guided right, helping our youth to know the truth; growing in love and honesty , living in just and truth and building a nation where peace and justice reign and where democracy equally guarantees continuity in governance. One begins to wonder whether all the afore-mentioned aspirations as expressed in the national anthem are mere rhetoric rather than virtues to live by. In the Civil Service,’ Servicom’ was launched to enhance efficiency and right service to the clients. Is it not high time that the same level of efficiency and right service manifested in the public service and similar national executive bodies?
Your Excellency Sir, many technical cadre civil servants(HND holders) attained salary grade level 14 step11( the former ceiling for that level) over 10years ago, officers(Degree holders) on level 10 at that time are right now on levels 15 or 16. Affected officers are annually being exempted from promotion interviews to level 15 even though the Federal Executive Council has accepted the recommendation of the removal of the ceiling since 2004. Paragraph one of page 5 of the quoted white paper states that, ‘On 11th June, 2006, the President set up the White Paper Drafting Committee on the Consolidation of Emolument in the Public Sector, to among others , work out a White Paper or better still, detailed programme of implementation of the accepted parts of the Report so as to ensure that substantial implementation begins in 2007 along with substantial implementation of Public Service Reforms and Right Sizing’. A lot of public service reforms including disengagement from service(right sizing) had been implemented whereas the issue of the removal of ceiling placed on HND holders also covered by the same White Paper still remains a no-go area. Is this not a perversion of justice and fairplay?
It is disheartening to state that the HND holders are still being statutorily and financially dehumanized as follow:
1. The period of study to attain HND is a minimum of five years ( 2yrs for OND, 1Yr of Post OND-Internship and 2Yrs for HND) while some of the first degree programmes require only 4Yrs for Courses in Education, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences , Arts etc. It is a fact to recognize that most Polytechnic students meet the minimum entry qualifications for University admission before choosing a career in the Polytechnic.
2. The point of entry into the Civil Service is Salary Grade Level 08 for holders of both qualifications. They undeniably assume the same responsibilities
3. It is a national shame to see some Nigeria Universities quoting the HND as one of the acceptable Entry Qualifications (into Part One of First Degree Programmes) while at the same time same or some others accept the same qualification (with PGD) for their masters programmes. (the NUC needs to revisit this issue). This waste of human resources and retardation of the national technological advancement need to be arrested forthwith. Some universities need to be aware that tertary institutions abroad afford HND holders from this country admission for post-graduate studies without any discrimination.
4. Technical Cadre staff on the so-called ceiling are being paid same salary (i.e. GL 14/11) year-in, year-out, without any annual increment even if they have to stagnate there till retirement decades after and nobody seems to care. More embarrassingly these officers are being paid the same Duty Tour Allowance of N8,500 with their sub-ordinate officers on salary grade level 07. Where are the so called incentives to enhance staff efficiency and productivity? What are the prospects for tertiary Vocational Technical Institutions in Nigeria ? Where is Nigeria ’s technological drive heading to? A lot of Physical structures are presently rotting away in Polytechnics for lack of students while those of Universities are being over-stretched. Some Departments in the Polytechnics are either without Students or their lecturers outnumber the students’ population. Is this country not loosing her focus on Technological Education? This country has to borrow a leaf from a country like Japan whose philosophy and objective of education is, ‘aggressive survival technology and effective use of adapted technology’.
Right now some Federal Ministries and Parastatals are gathering data for the next promotion exercise but the technical cadres on SGL 14 are completely excluded for the reason that the afore-mentioned white paper does carry with it ‘any directive’ to implement. What other directive is required, going by the Pages 5, 31 and 32 of the quoted White Paper?
Your Excellency, Mr. President, I wish to appeal once again that you use your enviable, and honourable office to save the affected officers the psychological trauma of the predicament they find themselves.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Long live Mr. President.
| 2.5 |
FG should do something about the HND and the BSC issues because it is not fair the way they handling this matter let them setle it once and for all.
Polytechnic should be converted into University on different body
It is so bad that bsc is consider more important than HND in Nigeria labour market. I think the employer are just being selfcentered nd inhuman to the HND graduate. The HND graduate fits-in in the industries with little or no training by the industries because they have the fundamental knowledge and are use to practicals while the Bsc graduates are epitome of graduates without technical know how and requires much training that he may find stressful because he’s not use to such practical learning,thereby making them not very productive in the technical sector which is the paramount part of an industry and the country at large.Both HND and BSC have their various important roles to play at different sections of a company and should be given equal opportunity
HND Holders’ Prospects At Stake: Federal Executive Council and FCSC, pls, intervene
The Government White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Committee on the
Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Sector (December 2006)
revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria accepted among others
things, the recommendation for the removal of the dichotomy and ceiling on the Salary
Grade level/Rank attainable by the HND holders in the Civil service.(Chapter 6 Section
6.2 Page 31) and the Implementation Strategies and Time Frame fixed at, “ Medium
Term” (Page 32).
The report was specifically drafted so as to ensure that substantial implementation of the
recommendation of an earlier presidential committee begins in 2007 along with
substantial implementation of the Public Service Reforms and Right-Sizing.
It is quite glaring that some of the Public Service Reforms covered in chapter 6 Section
6.2 of the White Paper including disengagement of staff from service and particularly
the phasing out of Salary Grade levels 01-05 had been implemented whereas the issue of
the removal of the ceiling placed on HND holders also covered in the same chapter still
remains un-implemented for “lack of official directive”. Perpectually stalled on
G.L.14/11, and without any annual increment, these officers are entitled to the same DTA
as fresh GL.07 officers.. Where are the so called incentives to enhance staff efficiency
and productivity?
The Federal Executive Council should please intervene to ensure the prompt
implementation of the provision of the white paper.
Salawu, Isiaka Adebayo
salawuisiakaa@yahoo.co.uk
Federal govt should pls remove this barier in HND and degree, if u check many poly graduate can perform more than
University so fed Govt should pls do some thing b/cos is causing problem thanks
Polytechnics and NBTE themselves are the reason why HND holders are being discriminated everywhere in Nigeria. Imagine a situation whereby the polytechnics discriminate against HND holders during employment of academic lecturers. They employ Bsc graduates as Asst. Lecturers and HND holders as Instructors, in the same school where the HND holders were trained. It pains me when ever i see that happens. Charity begins at home.
Federal Govt should implement that decision taken immediate if we want the principle of equality in our society. But then, if not let govt scrap Polytechnic Education completely so to see where technicians can be found. Nigerians, do we know that those engineers we import some are with Diploma? Please let us face the reality.
Federal Govt should remove the different between HND and Degree because the decision has been taken, why is delay for? Our President please help to approve the decision
Even polytechnics discriminate against HND holders. They prefer to employ Bsc graduates to teach polytechnic students.
How can every body be of same level? is the mojor problems between the B.sc and H.n.d. Then the labour market concluded it all by rating the H.n.d holders’ inferious and even prefer to employs the B. sc.
Are the University graduate better than the Polytechnic graduate? Are they ore yrs than the polytechnic or can the university produced all type knowledges we needs as a country today? Are we still one nigerians?
It is only God and the government can help the H.n.d holders’ out
ARE THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE BETTER THAN THE POLYTECHNIC GRADUATE? ARE THEY USES MORE YRS TO OBTAIN THEIR DEGREE THAN POLYTECHNIC DOES? CAN THE UNIVERSITY PRODUCED ALL TYPES OF KNOWLEGDES WE NEEDS AS A COUNTRY TO DEVELOP OUR ECONOMY TODAY? THE LABOUR MARKETS AND GOVERNMEMET SHOULD BE GUIDED!
MAY GOD OUR H.N.D HOLDERS’ TO ACHIEVED THEIR DREAM GOALS. DISPARITY NIGERIANS AND THE LABOUR MARKET………………………………………… IS NOT THE SOLUTION FOR BETTER TOMORROW.
The only way out to stop this discrmination is our government should award the B.TECH to the HND holder which is equivalent to B.SC.that is the only way.
One of the major problems with Nigerian education is still the failure to match forward, preferring the old colonial ways of doing things, even when those colonial countries have since changed their ideologies. Nigerians should rise up to embrace the 21st. century education and training. There is today no more greater emphasis on the qualifications you have than the skills to do the job. What matters is truly your ability and skill to do the job. There is therefore no need for differentiated or pegged salary structure. People must be encouraged to learn and aspire through the job, and by this, equality of opportunity and competitive drive is entrenched into the civil service, hence people become productive in what they do, this is not the case with the current civil service.
No set of qualification aught to be discriminated upon; be it HND, BSc or even the HSC/A/Level GCE. In order words, there should be no discrimination between qualifications and your pay packet. It seems that, only in Nigeria can one still see this sort of draconic policy being practiced. In more advanced world, HND, BSc, BA,Bs, Btech holders are viewed as graduates. Those HND holders who wish to have BSc are given only one year to do that while those who wish to do Masters are equally given the freeway to carry on with their masters etc. Why then is this two way match to productivity. Nigerians wake up; for dichotomy, victimization, segregation etc does not augur well in a comparable competitive world such as Nigeria.
Changing the award from HND to B.Tech is not really the issue, Nigeria Goverment should recognise all Polytechnic Graduate as potential Graduate like the BSC holders and grant them all necessary previleges both at the private and public sector of the Economy. They should advance to GL 17 in the Civil Service employment. HND graduate should also be allowed to go in for their Master programme at any level without any delay. I believe this will stop this discrimination issue once all for all.
The entire situation is indeed disheartening really. However, we must not be rash, as if a situation of this nature must be corrected; it needs a lot of diplomacy and patience. Most people would admit that the university learning environment if more often than not, extra-challenging than its Polytechnic counter part which makes it (in Nigeria) produce averagely better products than the latter. Nonetheless, I have met a lot of geniuses, who though graduated from Polytechnics, have through personal development and augmentation, made themselves tough competitors in the market. The Manpower employers on their part should note that the place of practical adequacy and dexterity can not be overemphasized. Polytechnic Graduates should be given equal opportunities to write tests and appear before the interview panel, resultantly proving their worth. This is the only way out for now. I would have said that the government should also better still, scrap the polytechnics, but if that is done where are the Universities that will admit all Secondary School leavers? Is it all willing students that can afford University education? Let us be rational.
Yes! its not fair for the private and public companies in terms of getting jobs to be discriminating HND from BSc and in placing them in the better position which they ought to be, thereby displaying their skills on works which they are being trained in school for. some degree holders do not have enough knowledge i.e technical -know-how as the Diploma does. This should be considerably looked into.
Our educational section needs total overhauling. Education course should be studied at college of education. HND should be change from diploma to B tech so as to uplift the holders. Nigeria needs minister who will do that. Bsc holders are been polished on paper to be better but they are not. Examples could be seen in ICAN and ICT courses.
one of the problem we are having in the polytechnic system that has negatively contributed to the discrimination of BSc and HND is that we pay little importance to the 1year industrial training been received by ND holdeds and that is why the university system does not see how an HND Graduates is more exposessed practically than the university graduates.so we should all place value on the 1year IT PROGRAM so that the difference can be clear in terms of practical knowledge btw both BSc and HND.comment from RAJI OLATUNJI KAZEEM
Nigeria should do everything possible to encourage Poly technic education and their graduates. Polytechnics and Unversities have their different roles to play .polytechnic education is mostly based on technology and the important of technology in this mordern world can not be over emphasized.but the main problem is that Nigeria does not have any prospect and ajenda that is why we are still talking about this disparity.The world is going global and technology is the main issue everywhere now. The backbone of most developed countries is technology. Let all Polytechnics be converted to Universities of technology if that will solve this problem, because i dont know why this disparity.
I feel so sad about this unjust action by the FG and most employers of labour in nigeria.The issue is that the university and the polytehnic are two different citadels of higher learning and should be such that products from the polytechnic should not be made to look inferior before their contemporaries in the university.
The FG and employeres of labour should wakeup to the realities of life and know that a lot of man power is being wasted and feelings are injured due to this depraved and callous act of theirs.
Nigerian FG pls look into this anomaly and come out with a final stop to this disparity between HND and Bsc products thank you.
Pls don’t discourage the hnd holder because they have experience than the bsc holder. and know that, everybody cannot go to university. university is not easy to get admission into it. mr president should do something about it.
the Hnd are more better then the Bsc b/c Hnd are technical oriented, while the Bsc not
Disparity between HND and Bsc in labour market.NO to further discrimination in labour market .If not the ideaologcal collapse of National Association Of Polytechnic Stundent NAPS .It will be so esay to fight back the lost glory of polytechnic stundent.Nigeria stundent under the canopy of National Association Of Polytechnic Stundent NAPS must try as much as possible to move one campuse to the other to call for difiance struggle to press home for this mense.
Many developing country in the world to day is the workhand of technician and scohlars of technology school but, Nigeria leader of today have contributed to the disparity instead of funding vocation and technical education ,They loot our treasury and mismanage the resources am proud of polytechnic stundent in labour market than university without pratical .Struggle for this will commence by the Osun State Polytechnic Iree chapter of Education Rights campaign ERC,If you are intrested in join the struggle contart uus on 07032069383,08053356632yours in Struggle
HND holders should stop disturbing themselves the power behind BSC would not let HND be anytin, Nigeria is a country where pple dont believe in the stuff u get just carry pali there is no pali stuf here it is what u can dol i am living in Europe where pple with technical education were better paid,if u are a graduate of technical school u can never be jobless bcos there is always a job for u pple might not believe this bcos of Nigerian mentality we believe in working in an office dt is why our economy would remain as it was most of our leaders went through polytechnic abraod before it was change to university that is why they were so good then but now technical education in nigeria is a mess come to europe and see you will understand me very well here in europe the number of technical student is far more than that of BSC bcos they are the pple keeping the economy going
hnd is not better than bsc and vise versa,both should be given equal opportunity in the labour market ,for the best to take the lead because no country can advance without technology.
what we need is technological advancement and not disparity even the universities are not upto what the should be
infact the fed. govt should set up a sensitization movement in sec.sch.to save the futureof polytechnic education because sec. sch. leaver is talking about poly.
i am an HND holder, living south america,i applied for a job and my certificate was not known, as it was considered as a diploma that can be issued by a saloon. In this regard they wrote to the fed ministry of education trying to assetain its equivalent, to my dismay tilldade, they refused to repply, proving that HND is not known in Nigeria
There is no difference between HND and B.sc degree as i am concern . The HND holders are better equipped to face the outside world than their university counterpart because they are more exposed in their field of study. Practically and otherwise.
The reason why i said this is that 15years years after graduating from the polytechnic with HND in Electrical Engineering, faced with descrimination at place of work, i proceeded for a three year B.Eng degree programme in the university and graduted respectively.
The qaulity of the training i expected was far below expectation as always claimed by the unversity education as superior to the polytechnic.
Government should do something urgently to correctly this discrimination as this will not encourage people to patronize the polytechnic again. With time polytechnic will be refused by all, except for drop outs and less previlages which is not the reason why it is created ( technoligical man power training).
please don t waste our time do the right thing at the right time
I want to comment that majority, if not all, of the so-called B.Sc graduates are not as resourceful as the Polytecnic products. They, B.Sc holders, go about with theories which are hardly put into practice; meanwhile the HND holders are pragmatic, inventive, innovative and creative. They therefore deserve due respect!
HND and BSC should be given equal right if the government really want to achieved vision 2020
In fact, am highly disappointed in this kind of trauma with HND holders, lets Federal Government do something fast before this problem get out of hand, but we should also be informed that the certificate one is holding has nothing to do with our destiny in life, so let stop this and stop complication and compounding Nigeria problem so that we can move forward let join together to make Nigeria great.
oxford advance learner dictionary in the 5th edition defines the h.n.d as equivelent 2 b.s.c. the question is, what does the word “equivelent” means. it is driven 4rom the word equal. in mathematics, when they say A IS EQUAL 2 B it mean that,what A can do B. can also do. also, H.N.D holders in other civillized nation are highly recognized. no wonder they are developed. 4 example singapore,island, swizaland and britian.nigeria is backward because we are living in asumptionand ,prediction.the word polytechnic or university is not a yardstick 2 measure human interlect. base on the fact that human are created on diff platform of creativitise.nigeria should embrace what individaul can do not the po” or the uni,it is just a word or a noun of recognition wit dff’ss.
the only diff b/w the 2 school is the pol and the uni sound. that does not make any point 2 measure individual ability.
HND/DEGREE PARITY: FGN, PLEASE RELEASE THE ENABLING CIRCULAR.
The implementation of HND/Degree Parity, a people oriented, popularly supported policy was sponsored by prominent Nigerian Heroes, an Executive President; approved by the Federal Executive Council and published in the Federal Government White Paper in 2006.
A paragraph of the White Paper which recommended the parity also advocated for the right-sizing of SGL 01-05officers from the FCS. This had been effected since 2007. Are the Nigerian Leaders actually people-oriented or Do they take pleasure in the suffering of the masses being their electorates?
The waiting period or rather the post-inception period of the Federal Government White Paper had seen four Heads of Service in Office (since December 2006) yet the implementation of Parity is being subjected to ‘political semantics’ and dragging.
The provision of the White Paper is clair, “For reasons of relativity”, there is, “the need for parity in the salaries and rank attainable in the Public Service by holders of either qualification (i.e. HND or Bachelors)”
The White Paper of December 2006, being appreciative of the above fact emphasized that,
“Entrants into the public service with HND must have full opportunity to reach the highest grade for the purpose of relativity.”
N.B Both the Degree and HND holders in the Public Service discharge similar functions in their respective Federal and State Ministries. They both participate in the National Youth Service Scheme and enter into the Public service on Salary Grade Level 08. This is the essence of relativity.
The paper did not recommend the unilateral conversion of HND to Degree or B.Tech. neither did it advocate the baking of Bachelors Degree graduates from the Mono- or Polytechnics and Colleges of Techology.
The provisions of the White Paper are quite clear, seeking Degree/HND equality or institutional conversion or transformation should be out of the question. This is rather digressional, a misrepresentation of facts and misdirection of efforts and scarce national resources.. Both the Degree and the HND awarding institutions have their specific roles in the economic development of the nation. The Government should rather make adequate funds and facilities available to the tertiary institutions for more efficiency and productivity in their schedules.
The beneficiaries of the provisions of the White Paper are the HND holders already in the Public Service (Federal and States) and those undergoing HND programmes that may later find their ways in and not new degree holders to be baked from Polytechnics-turned-Universities.
Some of the Career Public Officers and Members of the National House of Representatives being resentful of or rather reluctant to implement of the provisions of the White paper should be asked whether they saw, read and correctly interpreted the contents of the White Paper of December 2006 without any hidden agenda or bias!!!
It was reported that the House of Representatives, on the 20th of May, 2008 threw out a bill, seeking removal of the civil service disparity in the treatment of University Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders. The decision of the House of Representatives on this matter should be seen as a belated issue and of no effect. It should be set aside while the government implements the provisions of the White Paper as approved by the Federal Executive Council on September 27, 2006 without any further delay.
Be informed that the conception and birth of the White Paper took 19months 20days i.e. from the call for memoranda on Terms of Reference on February 7, 2005 to September 27, 2006 when the Federal Executive Council was reported to have approved the Draft. A lot of material, financial and human resources had been put into the realization of the White Paper. The approved provisions of the White Paper cannot just be jettisoned now!
After his approval of the White Paper on September 25, 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR,mni directed the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, the Minister of Education, Mrs. Chinwe Obaji, the Chief of Staff (Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi) and the Head of Service (Alhaji Yayale Ahmed) to immediately prepare a position paper reflecting the new position so that the Executive can put it into effect.
President Olusegun Obasanjo was quoted to have accepted to end the discrimination of HND holders because of “ his convinction that they could also be more useful to the nation without any discriminatory remuneration and progressional limit
The electorates are rather expecting the issuance of an enabling circular that will direct the immediate review of the Scheme of Service and the prompt removal of the dichotomy according to the provisions of the White Paper, that:
2. The Government accepted that the undue dichotomy and ceiling on the Salary Grade level / Rank attainable by the Higher National Diploma holders should be removed .
3. The Government directed that the current Scheme of Service should be reviewed to reflect the same.
HND holders should be appreciated as vehicles for the vocational and technical advancement of the country to whom it would be a disservice to be placed on discriminatory remuneration with degree holders. According to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Alhaji Ahmad Lawan, “ Vocational and technical education has been identified as the bedrock of the nation’s, technological and industrial take off which the nation badly craves for and any policy that discriminates against the products of such technical education is simply a misdirected one.”
. The FGN and the Head Of Service/ Establishment in particular should
therefore release this important document.without any further delay.
Regards
SALAWU, Isiaka Adebayo
08035564384
HND/DEGREE PARITY: FGN, PLEASE RELEASE THE ENABLING CIRCULAR.
The implementation of HND/Degree Parity, a people oriented, popularly supported policy was sponsored by prominent Nigerian Heroes, an Executive President; approved by the Federal Executive Council and published in the Federal Government White Paper in 2006.
A paragraph of the White Paper which recommended the parity also advocated for the right-sizing of SGL 01-05officers from the FCS. This had been effected since 2007. Are the Nigerian Leaders actually people-oriented or Do they take pleasure in the suffering of the masses being their electorates?
The waiting period or rather the post-inception period of the Federal Government White Paper had seen four Heads of Service in Office (since December 2006) yet the implementation of Parity is being subjected to ‘political semantics’ and dragging.
The provision of the White Paper is clair, “For reasons of relativity”, there is, “the need for parity in the salaries and rank attainable in the Public Service by holders of either qualification (i.e. HND or Bachelors)”
The White Paper of December 2006, being appreciative of the above fact emphasized that,
“Entrants into the public service with HND must have full opportunity to reach the highest grade for the purpose of relativity.”
N.B Both the Degree and HND holders in the Public Service discharge similar functions in their respective Federal and State Ministries. They both participate in the National Youth Service Scheme and enter into the Public service on Salary Grade Level 08. This is the essence of relativity.
The paper did not recommend the unilateral conversion of HND to Degree or B.Tech. neither did it advocate the baking of Bachelors Degree graduates from the Mono- or Polytechnics and Colleges of Techology.
The provisions of the White Paper are quite clear, seeking Degree/HND equality or institutional conversion or transformation should be out of the question. This is rather digressional, a misrepresentation of facts and misdirection of efforts and scarce national resources.. Both the Degree and the HND awarding institutions have their specific roles in the economic development of the nation. The Government should rather make adequate funds and facilities available to the tertiary institutions for more efficiency and productivity in their schedules.
The beneficiaries of the provisions of the White Paper are the HND holders already in the Public Service (Federal and States) and those undergoing HND programmes that may later find their ways in and not new degree holders to be baked from Polytechnics-turned-Universities.
Some of the Career Public Officers and Members of the National House of Representatives being resentful of or rather reluctant to implement of the provisions of the White paper should be asked whether they saw, read and correctly interpreted the contents of the White Paper of December 2006 without any hidden agenda or bias!!!
It was reported that the House of Representatives, on the 20th of May, 2008 threw out a bill, seeking removal of the civil service disparity in the treatment of University Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders. The decision of the House of Representatives on this matter should be seen as a belated issue and of no effect. It should be set aside while the government implements the provisions of the White Paper as approved by the Federal Executive Council on September 27, 2006 without any further delay.
Be informed that the conception and birth of the White Paper took 19months 20days i.e. from the call for memoranda on Terms of Reference on February 7, 2005 to September 27, 2006 when the Federal Executive Council was reported to have approved the Draft. A lot of material, financial and human resources had been put into the realization of the White Paper. The approved provisions of the White Paper cannot just be jettisoned now!
After his approval of the White Paper on September 25, 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR,mni directed the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, the Minister of Education, Mrs. Chinwe Obaji, the Chief of Staff (Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi) and the Head of Service (Alhaji Yayale Ahmed) to immediately prepare a position paper reflecting the new position so that the Executive can put it into effect.
President Olusegun Obasanjo was quoted to have accepted to end the discrimination of HND holders because of “ his convinction that they could also be more useful to the nation without any discriminatory remuneration and progressional limit
The electorates are rather expecting the issuance of an enabling circular that will direct the immediate review of the Scheme of Service and the prompt removal of the dichotomy according to the provisions of the White Paper, that:
The Government accepted that the undue dichotomy and ceiling on the Salary Grade level / Rank attainable by the Higher National Diploma holders should be removed .
The Government directed that the current Scheme of Service should be reviewed to reflect the same.
HND holders should be appreciated as vehicles for the vocational and technical advancement of the country to whom it would be a disservice to be placed on discriminatory remuneration with degree holders. According to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Alhaji Ahmad Lawan, “ Vocational and technical education has been identified as the bedrock of the nation’s, technological and industrial take off which the nation badly craves for and any policy that discriminates against the products of such technical education is simply a misdirected one.”
. The FGN and the Head Of Service/ Establishment in particular should
therefore release this important document.without any further delay.
Regards
SALAWU, Isiaka Adebayo
08035564384
So much hulabaloo about d B.Sc n HND disparity, yet d federal government remains unperturbed. d sincere truth is dat, majority of selfish beings in d helm of affairs of d polytechnic wil b affected if d government attempts a B.Tech implementation. most of dem are just there to embezzle budgetary allocations. otherwise, y did they put a stop 2 d earlier revolution carried out by d former minister of education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili? changes were already being carried out in YABATECH & KADPOLY, to CITY UNIVERSITIES respectively,b4 it was put 2 a halt by sum political joggernauts. we, d entire polytechnic grads n undergrads, plead wit d federal government n d quarters concerned, 2 give a beffiting lift 2 d system, n leverage all disparities thereof. d significance n importance of d poly education can not b over emphasized. ALUTA CONTINUA…
Polytechnic education as we know was introduced to help us reach a balance in our technological development. Discriminating against the HND as compared with the B.Sc in the Nigerian civil service will not only make the technological aspirations of Nigeria to be lost, it will also result in total debacle of the education system in Nigeria. For a better Nigeria, a speedy intervention should be given to the issue of B.Tech.
Dont let us deciv our self, Nigeria will never develop technologically if the descrimination continue, despite the fact that i’m a university graduate i normally give kudos to the HND’s holders