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The Senate of the National Assembly, Wednesday, passed a Bill seeking to end dichotomy between First Degree graduates from universities and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders from polytechnics in the country.
The passage of the Bill followed the positive consideration of the report of the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters; and Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, at the plenary.
Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, in his report, said: “The enactment of the Bill to abolish and prohibit discrimination between First Degrees and Higher National Diploma for the purpose of employment in Nigeria will no doubt free holders of HND from stagnation and ensure balanced treatment with their counterparts from other higher tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”
He added that the abolishment of the existing dichotomy between HND holders and University graduates would meet the huge manpower needs of Nigerians, ensure social justice and enhanced corporate governance as well encourage patriotic contributions amongst HND employees in both public and private sectors.
Senator Shekarau, was not alone in this; Senator Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his contribution, said the passage of the Bill would serve as motivation for polytechnic graduates.
He called on the public and private sectors to ensure the implementation of the Bill’s provisions as soon as it is signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This particular issue has been in the front burner for a long time. I recall that in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, this was one bill that was so important, and is one way of encouraging our Polytechnic graduates.
“That should not take away from the kind of training they receive, but, in fact, it is supposed to be a motivation for our polytechnic graduates.
“I pray that the Federal Government and all those government agencies and the private sector would start to implement this by the time the President assents to this Bill.”
The Bill which was sponsored by Senator Patrick Ayo Akinyelure seeks to resolve the lingering controversy, discrimination, wage and entry level disparity against HND holder in the public and private sectors of the economy.
It also seeks to promote Nigeria’s technological advancement by encouraging many qualified candidates to pursue polytechnic and technological studies.
Recall that Senator Akinyelure had, in his lead debate during the second reading of the Bill, insisted that discrimination against HND holders could take the shine off the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically driven society.
Findings, he said, had proved that some polytechnic graduates were in some cases better on the field than their university counterparts.
“A government employment policy that places degree holders ahead of HND holders without recourse to skill and ability of the HND holder thereof does more harm than good to the nation’s development plans,” Akinyelure had noted with regrets./SHARE THIS