The polytechnic lecturers in the country have called on the House of Representatives to without further delay pass into law a bill before it aiming at abolishing the existing dichotomy between first degree (BSc/B.Ed) and the Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, saying closing the gap was in the interest of growth and development of polytechnic education in the country.
The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Dr Anderson Ezeibe, made the appeal on Sunday in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune.
He said the House of Reps needs not delay the bill unnecessarily moreso that the upper chamber, the Senate, had passed it into law about four months ago.
According to him, the bill is important as it will end the discrimination that graduates from polytechnics always face against their counterparts from the universities in the labour market and also during promotion exercises particularly for those in the public service across levels of government.
In addition to that, he said, the bill would also help in promoting Nigeria’s technological advancement by encouraging many more young qualified Nigerians to pursue polytechnic and technological studies.
He noted that it is disheartening that most companies in the country are hiding under what he called the undue discrimination to utilize and under remunerate workers from the polytechnic field by employing them more and paying them a pittance.
“So, it is very important that the House of Reps should do the needful just as the Senate had done and then pass the bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent to become a law,” he stressed.
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