The Senate, on Wednesday at plenary, almost passed for second reading, a bill seeking to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between first degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) in the same profession/field.
The bill, which was entitled, ‘A Bill for an Act to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/ Field’, was sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, representing Ondo Central.
Leading the debate on the general principle of the bill, Akinyelure noted with dismay the age long discrimination and dichotomy existing between first degree and HND in the country and the traumatising experiences of HND holders in their places of work.
He explained that the bill specifically sought to end the on-going controversy over wage disparity and gross discrimination against HND holders in the public and private sectors.
He said: “the aftermath of continuing injustices, disparity and discriminations meted on products of polytechnics in Nigeria is threatening to derail the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically based, self-reliant society in the nearest future.
“As I speak, thousands of would-be polytechnic and technology students are contemplating or have decided to opt for university education, because of perceived and real discrimination against HND graduates.
“If this contemplation occurs, there is bound to be a vacuum created in our labour market in this regard, and dire consequences are bound to follow this trend.
“Over the years, several entreaties have been put forth to the Federal Civil Service authorities to put a stop to certain glaring wage disparities and discrimination against the HND holders, and all these have been to no avail.”
He also regretted that certain federal parastatals are known to openly discriminate against HND holders to the extent of limiting their progress within the hierarchy of such government bodies.
“To all intents and purposes, 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,” he added.
