Higher National Diploma: Coalition renews fight against dichotomy in Public Service

Coalition of Higher National Diploma, (HND) holders in Nigeria, has once again kicked against the dichotomy between them and university degree holders by throwing their weight behind a bill sponsored to that effect in the Senate.

Similarly, stakeholders in Okunland of Kogi State have pleaded with the National Assembly to pass a bill seeking the upgrading of the College of Agriculture in Kabba to a full-fledged University of Agriculture.

The two groups spoke at the opening of a two-day public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETUND, chaired by Senator Ahmed Baba-Kaita on two bills sponsored for the changes.

The first bill sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, seeks for the abolition and prohibition of discrimination between university first degree and Higher National Diploma degree holders in public service, while the second bill sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi, is seeking for an Act to establish the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba from the present College of Agriculture which has been serving as a campus of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria in Kabba since 1971.

Speaking at the session, the National Coordinator of HND stakeholders, Sebastien Onyemaobi, in a 34 – page memorandum submitted to the committee said the dichotomy which started in 1955 during the colonial regime must stop.

But the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Service, Policies and Strategies in her office, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, said there would be a need for a review of the curriculum of universities and polytechnics before the dichotomy could be abolished.

Yemi-Esan said though the dichotomy at entry-level into public service between university and polytechnics graduates has been removed, that progression of Level 14 upward still exists.

Based on this, she explained that polytechnic graduates will have to acquire a post-graduate diploma or Master’s degree before advancing further from Level 14.

On the agitation for upgrading the College of Agriculture in Kabba, the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi, appealed to the authorities of ABU, to release the school for the upgrading to a full-fledged university.

The traditional ruler recalled that when the bill was attended to in 2017 by the 8th Senate, authorities of ABU kicked against it on the ground that the college as it is today is a campus of the university.

“I’m happy that the chairman of this committee in his remarks said there’s no opposition against the bill yet in the ongoing legislative process, but I want to on behalf of the entire Okun people, beg ABU to release this school and allow it to be upgraded,” he said.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmad Baba-Kaita, said all the views and submissions made by the various stakeholders will guide the committee in its final report. The public hearing ends on Tuesday.

PIAK