By Shola Abayomi.
Adopting a stance on the segregation between the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (BSc), the House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to put an end to the age-long dichotomy.
The bill sponsored by Edward Pwajok (Plateau State) and Ali Isa (Gombe State) passed second reading in April 2017.
Over the years, graduates from polytechnics with HND certificates have been perceived to have inferior qualification as compared to their BSc counterpart.
Pwajok argued that the discrimination against the polytechnic graduates “had no moral justification”.
The lawmaker explained that there was segregation when it comes to employment; especially in the public service, because “those having first degrees (university graduates) are placed on Grade level 8, while those having HND are placed on grade level 6 or 7”.
He further narrates that, “the discrimination reflects in salaries as some organisations pay degree holders N100,000 at entry level, with HND holders paid N70,000.”
The Federal Government had earlier abolished the dichotomy between the two classes of degree holders in the following agencies: the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).