THE Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in public service have filed a motion before the National Industrial Court, Abuja, challenging their discrimination in career progression in public service. Hearing in the matter was, last Friday stalled, following an application seeking an extension of time to file a reply by A.K. Kamar, who appeared for the Head of Service of the Federation, saying his office was not aware that the matter would hold on that day. The president of the National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, who presided over the matter, then ordered the defence counsel to regularise their replies and file same before the next adjourned date, September 18. The originating summons brought by Garba Bello, Babatunde Samuel, Jubril Kadiri, Christiana Owolabi, Chuba Umechukwu and Fatima Ahmed, on behalf of members of the association, also listed the National Council on Establishments and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants. The claimants want the court to make an order directing the defendants to implement the directives of the government’s white paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on the Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Sector. While making an appeal for speedy hearing on the matter, their counsel, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, told the court that HND holders in public service were not allowed to rise beyond Grade Level 14, as against their B.Sc counterparts, no matter their level of competence. Speaking after the hearing, president of Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Leo Okereke, explained that all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have continued to discriminate against HND holders in the public service. He wondered the fate of thousands of graduates and undergraduates of polytechnics in the country. In his averment, Garba Bello said that President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004 and 2005 embarked on public sector reform and constituted a committee to address the disparity in the public service. He added that a white paper committee was set up in 2007 for the consolidation of emoluments and in 2008, an implementation committee was also set up. He maintained that despite these “recommendations and conclusions, the applicants and other holders of the HND certificates are still being discriminated against and still suffer at various work places.” -TRIBUNE
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 11:42:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015