HoS gets ultimatum to shortlist HND holders for promotion as directors

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been urged to shortlist qualified Higher National Diploma holders for promotion as directors within the next seven days or face legal action.
Kevin Okoro, Legal Adviser of the Higher National Diploma Holders Association of Nigeria, made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Okoro also called on the HOS to implement government’s White Paper on the removal of dichotomy/ceiling on the career progression of HND holders
He said: “We call on the HOS to take steps to issue appropriate establishments circular on the implementation of the White Paper.
“It should also enlist HND holders who are due for the forthcoming promotion examination into directorate cadre.
“As it stands now, it is apparent that there is no law of the federation and no government’s decision that debars HND holders from getting to the peak of the civil service career of Grade Level 17.”
Okoro said holders of HND certificates had been subjected to monumental injustice, pathological hatred, decimation and stagnation in the public service.
“This is in spite of their hard work and significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the nation,” he said.
He stressed that HND holders were stagnated for several years in the civil service which included the placement of Grade Level 14 ceiling on their career progression irrespective of their competence.
“HND holders were not invited to participate in the recruitment of about 1,000 applicants by the Federal Civil Service in 2013. And there are many other cases,” he said.
Okoro said government had made several efforts to address the discrimination in the polytechnic system but only few agencies had implemented it.
He called on the Federal Government to harmonise the curricula rather than setting up a fresh committee or to dabble into career progression of HND holders.
Okoro also called on the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, to take steps to implement the resolution reached by education summits and committees set up by his predecessors.