Mr Anderson Ezeibe, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has urged the Federal Government to empower polytechnics to award their bachelor of technology to end the BSc and Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy.

Ezeibe made the call in Kaduna at an award presentation and farewell ceremony organised by ASUP, Makarfi Chapter to mark the transition of Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi (SICHSTM) into Kaduna State University (KASU)

SICHSTM was merged with KASU to be awarding degrees by Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i.

He said the measure if adopted, would also ensure full utilisation of a huge number of technical equipment in workshops, laboratories and other facilities in public polytechnics that remained underutilised due to the lean student population.

The president said that with the transition, SICHST was no longer a member of ASUP, but of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

”ASUP is currently advocating for the award of bachelor of technology by the Nigerian polytechnics system. HND is no longer as attractive as it used to be to Nigerian youths because of the age-long dichotomy.

“Policymakers have made it a rule that once an individual has an HND, he cannot attain the peak of his/her career, then why are they continuing to force it on people, why don’t they phase it out and replace it with a bachelor of technology, “he said.

According to him, the Nigerian polytechnic system has all it takes in terms of infrastructure and human capital to award Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate Degrees in the areas of technology.

“In Europe, Germany, the UK, America and all parts of the world, polytechnics are not limited to middle-level manpower.

“In the new polytechnic act, they are empowered to produce higher level manpower without limit, as we speak, many polytechnics are producing degree holders but in affiliation

“They are doing it with their own infrastructure and staff, why can’t they do it in name of another institution.

“We are on serious advocacy regarding this and we have recently submitted a position paper to the federal government on the need to transit from the award of HND to bachelor, Masters and Doctorate degrees in technology with the Nigeria polytechnic system,” he said.

According to him, it will be the surest way of barricading the dichotomy between an HND and a Bachelors’s Degree.

“The bill to stop the dichotomy has passed through all the stages of legislation but not accented by the President and the period has passed, which means there is no political will.

“So, if they are not ready to improve HND, they should phase it out and replace it with degrees in technology so as for us to continue to dwell in our own area of competence which is technical education.

”ASUP is faced with many challenges and success stories among which was their ability to change the model of engagement with proprietors of public polytechnics and collages of technology in the country.

“We also engage in a lot of advocacy which resulted in us attracting positivities to the Nigerian polytechnics system.

“Recently, six new centres of excellence have been established in the Nigerian polytechnic system, one in each geo-political zone, they are the first of their kind,” he added..

Ezeibe also said that in October, N15Billion was also released for the polytechnic system as a result of their struggles, for the revitalisation of infrastructure in Nigeria’s polytechnic system.

“Currently, we are renegotiating our agreement with the government on new wage structure for our members, and many other developments we are trying to bring to Nigeria polytechnics system,” he said.

He said they were engaging their challenges in a productive manner without disrupting academic activities on their campuses.

Earlier, Mr Dauda Rilwan, Chairman of the event’s organising committee, said the occasion was very important to the institution as it was deemed fit by the Kaduna State Government to merge it with KASU for awarding of degrees and postgraduate qualifications.

He said that the award presentation was timely, especially honouring those who had worked tirelessly in making the institution move to a higher level.

One of the awardees, the Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Dr Yusuf Arrigasiyu, thanked ASUP SICHSTM Chapter for the award

Arrigasiyu, also a former Provost of the SICHSTM, said if one could be called and awarded after leaving a place he/she served, showed that that person has done something remarkable worthy of recognition.

“This is a place I headed over three years ago, their calling to honour me will serve as a morale booster and make me do better in my current organisation as the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency so that future and posterity will tell better about me,” he said.

He called on people to maximumly utilise any opportunity they came across in ensuring leaving positive footprints.

“When I came three years ago as the Provost, there was a lot of chaos but I persevered and ensure putting in my expertise to ensure that college was brought back to its required vision and mission.

“Once you have an opportunity, utilise it for the good, because time will tell if you have used the opportunity effectively or succeeded in wasting the time,” Arrigasiyu said.

Some of the awardees included Sen. Ahmad Makarfi, Dr Shehu Muhammad, former Commissioner Kaduna State Ministry of Education, and Ezeibe, among others.

A bill seeking a perpetual end to the dichotomy between the university degrees of Bachelor of Arts/Science, BA/BSc and the Higher National Diplomas, HNDs awarded by polytechnics was passed.

The Nigerian Senate also passed the bill to abolish the discrimination between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) from tertiary institutions.

Senate president Ahmad Lawan said the passage of the bill will serve as a motivation to HND holders from polytechnics.

The bill is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the Same Profession/Field for the Purpose of Employment; and for Related Matters.”

Detailing the equality of Degrees and HNDs, the bill stipulates that “Notwithstanding any provision in any legislation, circular, regulation or policy guideline, First Degree and Higher National Diploma shall be deemed construed and treated as equivalent qualification for the purpose of employment and career progression at workplace in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“Any provision in-laws, enactments, instruments, circulars, scheme of service, directives, or policies by whatever name called, which is inconsistent with the provisions of this bill, shall to the extent of the inconsistency be null and void, and of no effect.

“Holders of the First Degree and the Higher National Diploma (HND) shall be given equal treatment and opportunity in career placements, career progression, admission to further studies and privileges whatsoever in consideration of status as graduates of Nigeria tertiary institutions of higher learning,” he said.

The bill also prohibited discrimination between the Degree and HND. It provided that All forms of discrimination and or dichotomy between First Degree and Higher National Diplomas for the purpose of employment, transfer of service, conversion of cadre, career progression, promotion, and other related issues in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy is hereby abolished. (The Guardian)

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