HR. committee pledges to address degree, HND Disparity
The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, has pledged to ensure that the dichotomy between university degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) is addressed.
The Committee assured that the disparity in status and employment opportunities between both, in the country, will be eliminated.
Chairman of the Committee, Fuad Kayode Laguda, gave the assurance during an interactive oversight engagement with Rectors of the Federal Polytechnic Shendam and Federal Polytechnic Wannune at the National Assembly Complex.
According to him there are a number of proposed Bills to address the various challenges facing Polytechnics in the country.
He said, are aimed at strengthening them to provide the needed professional technical expertise towards the country’s quest for development.
Laguda said the meeting was to assess their budget performance, know the challenges facing the institutions and find the way to support them to run smoothly and serve their intended purposes.
“As we approach the 2025 budget year that’s coming next, we need to actually see to the performance of current year, previous years, to ascertain and to know to what level we will be doing future work, and to also understand what your individual challenges are in your institution and what you will require to move on,” he said.
The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Nyam-Shendam, Dr Mikaila Zakari Yau, said, they were still struggling to stay afloat since the creation of the Polytechnic in 2021.
He said they kicked off without a temporary site but started from a primary school building in the community.
Dr Zakari Ya’u said N2 billion was given to them by TetFund as take-off grant.
Part of this sum, he said, was used to buy a water tanker because there is no water in the school as well as renovate the existing primary school and carry out other projects for the takeoff of the institution.
further revealing that there was no take-off grant from the Federal Ministry of Education but there has been steady budget with a fair release which enabled the institution to execute capital projects and structures needed for learning.
The Committee queried the school for having only 27 students for three years despite having with an academic and non-academic strength of 245.
A member of the Committee raised questions : “You only mention that the take-off grant was two billion. What about the other grant? How much was given to you for other grants? He said, we need to know how that money was expended. You didn’t tell us.
“So we need to know how those money was spent. Who and who get what? What is the outcome of the grant? Can we see who get a grant? Can we inspect them? Because 27 students for three years to a school. You said you’ve done only one admission. For two years, what were you doing?”.
Another member of the Committee added : “And I think this is a very, very peculiar case and situation in terms of the number of students you have. It is alarming.
“It is really, really alarming. And if for all reasons stated by you, because if I want to understand what you’re saying as far as where your school is located, you’ve said before us here that it is not a conducive environment. From what you have said”.
In his presentation, the Rector, Fedpoly Wannune, Benue State, Dr Tyover Ashinya apologised for what happened about the plan by the Committee to visit the school and the statement credited to him which the found in uncomplimentary.
He said, the school also started in 2021 and was the last six Polytechnics that were established during the second tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “So when the school came on board, we were given, as usual, there was a take-off grant. And if you go there now, we judiciously use the take-off ground for administrative block, academic block, classrooms, offices.
“We have whatever for a better start of an institution. And if you equally go there, we’ve been able to have students, because when we came on board, we decided that this school, within the vicinity, is going to be a wonderful catchment position for our students. So we have students of almost 1,000, at least”.
However, the Committee observed the presentations by the two institutions were defective.
According to the Committee, there are many details that are required which were not presented such as employment adherence to federal character and others.
Laguda directed them to repackage their presentations and were given five working days to re-submit.
He said: “If you make a political decision as well, if I don’t appreciate the number of students, what I know is that the report is not accurate. You agree that the report is not accurate? Okay…let’s save ourselves the continuous agony and let’s also save ourselves face.
“I think at this point, if you can own up and say that you know your report is inaccurate, I would be saying to all my members and say that we grant you the grace to resubmit another report to us.
“That would be more comprehensive and I’ll be able to speak to all these questions we’ve been asking you all day. We do need pictures.”
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