Ex-Minister advocates establishment of polytechnic commission
Story from Rabi’atu, Lokoja
The former Minister of State Labour, Professor Stephen Ocheni has advocated for the establishment of a polytechnic commission to look into the affairs of polytechnics.
He also urged the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to embarked on resource verification and re-accreditation of so many undesirable roadside commercial institutes that parade themselves as polytechnics in the country.
The Minister made the call in his paper presentation titled “Nigerian Economic Transformation: The Role of Technical Education”, presented at the 2021 Maiden National Convention of the Alumni Association of Federal Polytechnic Idah during the weekend.
He noted that instead of the current situation where they are lumped together with skill acquisition centres and technical schools, this will bring them to par with their university counterparts.
He said NBTE should urgently take the crucial step with the aim of closing down all those self-acclaimed polytechnics that do not meet the minimum academic standard as their continued existence is a mockery or a misrepresentation and a ridicule to Technical Education in Nigeria.
The former Minister stressed that Nigerians have this mentality that a University degree is more important than HND in Technological training as too much emphasis is placed on getting a University qualification not minding whether the holder possess the required knowledge and skill.
According to the former Minister “Our Youths and parents should therefore be encouraged to embrace technical education which is the bedrock of our technological advancement
“Authorities of all tertiary institutions including Universities and Polytechnics are advised to collaborate with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in its job creation/skill acquisition drive in order to accelerate entrepreneurship development towards stimulating economic growth of our dear nation.
“The discrimination against graduates of polytechnics and technological institutions in terms of recruitment, grading, entry points, appropriate cadre should be stopped.
“A situation where B.Sc and HND holders are placed in different cadre in the public service to the disadvantage of HND holders is inhuman, discriminatory and counterproductive and should be discontinued.
He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to kindly assent to any bill seeking to abolish the dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma and the Bachelor’s Degree holders in the country as this will ensure social justice, enhance corporate governance, encourage patriotic contribution among HND employees in both private and public sectors and finally serve as motivation for the HND graduates.
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