NAPS kicks as Federal Civil Service Commission chairman wants HND scrapped  

TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo  

The leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, on Wednesday, kicked against the call by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, to scrap the Higher National Diploma, HND, programme in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that Olaopa had during a one-day national dialogue, organized by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), called for the scrapping of HND awarded by polytechnics.

Reacting in a statement signed by its Senate President, Temitope Adeniji, the student body described the call as mischievous, urging the chairman to withdraw his statement.

The statement partly reads: “This Statement from a Professor is shocking because some developed countries place great value on Technical Education as against theoretical knowledge passed on in Universities. With all the research done in Universities, how many solutions have the University Graduates proffered to solve Nigerian economic challenges?

“The Leadership of Senate Arm of National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, is hereby calling on the Federal Government to Investigate the Federal Civil Service Commission and Olaopa on reasons for the hatred of Polytechnic education knowing full well that Polytechnic Education was designed to solve critical technical issues and create great platform for technology advancement in the country.

“There is no professional war between HND/Bsc Certificate Holders as speculated by the Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission; what we are clamouring for is that Polytechnic Students, HND Certificate holders should not be treated as Second Class to Bsc.

“We are calling on the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, to withdraw his statement or face the massive protest from National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS.

Adeniji, however, urged President Tinubu to append his signature to the Bill for an Act to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between Bachelor degree (BSc) and Higher National Diploma (HND).

He added: “We are calling the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to look into this Bill and assent the presidential signature to make it a Law”.

For a better society