The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has criticised calls for the scrapping of higher national diploma (HND) awarded by polytechnics.
Blueprint recalls that the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof.Tunji Olaopa called for the scrapping of the certificate.
Displeased by the development, NAPS in a statement issued by its Senate President Adeniji Boluwaji Temitope on Wednesday while describing Olopa’s remark as ‘shocking’, said that some developed country place great value on technical education.
NAPS noted that the Polytechnic Education should not be scrapped because it was designed to solved critical technical issues and to create great platform for technology advancement in the Country.
NAPS stressed that instead of calling for the scrapping of the HND, the Nigerian government should place better priority on the certificate and abolish the Bsc and HND dichotomy.
According to NAPS: “…what we are clamouring for is that Polytechnic Students, HND Certificate holders should not be treated as Second class to Bsc, assuming Olaopa has Polytechnic Background he wouldn’t have come up with that unreasonable Conclusion, solutions to HND/Bsc Dichotomy has already been settled in Bill to abolised HND/Bsc.”
The statement reads further: “The Senate arm of National Association of Polytechnic Students NAPS who has been on the vanguard to stop HND/Bsc Dichotomy Condemned the wrong Speculation of the OLAOPA the Chairman of Federal Civil Service, Commission there are lot of good recommendations in the bill to abolished HND/Bsc Dichotomy that has been passed by the 9th Assembly, why is this going back and Front From the Federal Civil Service Commission in this regards if there is no evil motive or hatred against HND Certificate, there is something wrong with the Management team of Federal Civil Service Commission and HND Holders.
“The NBTE and COEAD Submission at one day retreat on HND/Bsc Dichotomy thats was held yesterday in Abuja at Tetfund Building Abuja, the report and their submission is different from this callous, wicked response and Publication of OLAOPA.
“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 on Polytechnic Certificate, knowing fully well that Polytechnic Education were designed to solved critical Technical issues and create great platform for Technology advancement in the Country, there is no Professional war between HND/Bsc Certificate Holder’s 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, assuming Olaopa has Polytechnic Background he wouldn’t have come up with that unreasonable Conclusion, solutions to HND/Bsc Dichotomy has already been settled in Bill to abolised HND/Bsc, we are calling the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed to look into this Bill and Assent the Presidential Signature to make it a Law.
“OLAOPA has no special skill or Intelligent more than those that laboured for the Bill to Abolised HND/Bsc Dichotomy, their Labour for years shouldn’t be in vein because of myopic mindset of OLAOPA, we are calling on him to withdraw that Statement or face the Massive Protest from National Association of Polytechnic Students NAPS.”
