HND/BSc dichotomy as albatross

The federal government has said that the controversy surrounding the dichotomy between the Bsc and HND holders cannot be ended by fiat, despite the intervention of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives.

Officials in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of Federation (OHoCSF) who cannot be named, as they were not authorized to talk on the matter, told Daily Trust on Sunday that only judicial pronouncement can end the matter.

A spokesman in the OHoCSF, Malam Mohammed Sabo Ahmed, declined comment, saying he cannot say anything on the matter and that only the Head of the Civil Service of Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, can talk or whoever she authorized.

Also, Daily Trust on Sunday visited the Organisation Design and Development (ODD); and the National Council on Establishment (NCE), where officials equally declined comments.

However, senior government officials in other units at the OHoCSF, who pleaded not to be named, in separate interviews said that the much talked about 39th NCE resolution in Minna, Niger State, in 2016, did not actually abolish the ‘disparity’.

According to one of the officials, it was more on entry point and not on removing the Level 14 ceiling for HND holders, unlike their BSc counterparts who can attain the peak of Civil Service career of Level 17 (director) and can even become permanent secretary.

“The only option is for HND holders to do post graduate courses, then masters and later to apply for conversion, after which being cleared can now move to the highest levels of Civil Service career,” the official said.

However, a senior civil servant told Daily Trust Sunday that the system is refusing change due to ego or ‘crass classification’ and that there are many civil servants, with additional qualification, which were not recognized and they are still being related with their entry qualification.

The NCE in 2016 resolved that bachelor degree and Higher National Degree (HND) holders should both enter the civil service on Grade Level 08, but federal ministries, departments and agencies have refused to implement the resolution except the paramilitary, who have upgraded their personnel, both at entry level and status promotions.

The NCE is a forum where the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Head of Service of the 36 states of the Federation and Permanent Secretaries (Establishment) in both the federal and state Civil Service meet annually to deliberate on matters affecting the Civil Service, especially the scheme and conditions of service.

Of the 33 council members at the meeting, 17 voted to remove the disparity against the remaining 16 who opposed; thus, the removal was adopted.

Years after the Minna meeting, many government agencies at the federal and state levels in the Civil Service, except the paramilitary agencies, are yet to comply with the restoration of parity between graduates of polytechnics and university graduates.

The NCE resolution only addressed the disparity in entry points between HND and Bachelor degree holders but was silent on the terminal points where there is also a gap between the two qualifications.

In a circular in July 2017, the then Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, approved the recommendation for the abolition of the dichotomy in all the paramilitary services, in compliance with the NCE resolution.

It was also said that those with professional qualifications and membership of professional bodies approved by the NCE such as Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), in addition to the HND are eligible for conversion into officer cadre and advance beyond SGL 14 in some of the paramilitary services.

While most of the paramilitary services seem to have implemented the Minna resolution, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) being the leading agency to comply with the resolution.

The Comptroller-General of the service, Hameed Ali, in April 2017 approved the removal of the dichotomy in the Service.

Kano State is, however, leading among the sub-nationals, as in May 2019 it officially abolished the dichotomy between the HND and BSc holders in the state.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, declared who said this during the workers day celebrations at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, said the decision was part of his administration’s effort to boost the morale of civil servants in the state.

Reps’ intervention

The House of Representatives in November 2021 passed a bill seeking a perpetual end to the dichotomy between BSc and HND graduates.

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”, the bill was read for the third time, which was the final stage of the law-making process during the day’s plenary.

The next stage would be concurrence with the Senate before it will be transmitted to the Presidency for the presidential assent.

The bill stipulates some punitive measures against any form of discrimination against holders of HND.  

FEC too

On March 14, 2007, and June 6, 2008, respectively, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) reaffirmed that: “The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognized as an equivalent of first-degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the workplace.”

It would also be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005 pronounced the removal of this dichotomy, but the NCE said the then president’s statement was a mere pronouncement without documentation and could not be adopted or implemented.  

Oyo-Ita’s stance

The former Head of Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, in a circular dated 26th March, 2018, conveyed the decision of the NCE to all concerned and solicited their support for implementation.

The circular indicated that NCE approved entry point of SGL 08 for HND holders in the Civil Service.

It also encouraged serving HND officers to fulfill all specified conditions as contained in the scheme of service and extant rules for career progression beyond SGL 14.

She however said emphatically that the controversial dichotomy in the federal civil service cadres has not been abolished.

Oyo-Ita, at a press conference, said the review of the policy cover the entry point for all cadres.

According to her, Nigerians have grossly misunderstood the pronouncement made by the Federal Executive Council on the controversial HND and Bsc dichotomy.

She said that the government has not completely resolved the dichotomy, as workers who holds HND in the Civil Service may have to get additional degree or certificate before they can be moved to level 17 like their university degrees counterparts.