The Senate yesterday passed for second reading, a bill to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination in the same profession and field, between degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, specifically seeks to end the on-going controversy over wage disparity and discrimination against HND holders in the public and private sectors.
Akinyelure told his colleagues: “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 hve 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 said to make matters worse, 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:
Senate President David noted that no degree holder has ever gone to the Polytechnic while the reverse has always been the case.
The bill has been referred to the Committee on Education for consideration and a report is expected in four weeks.
