Dichotomy: HND Graduates Can’t Rise Above Grade Level 14 ― FG

* Says removal of dichotomy partial

The Federal Government has clarified that the partial removal of
dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s
of Science (B.Sc) degree by the National Council on
Establishment.

Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita,
speaking on Thursday in Abuja, noted that the resolution of the
Council was that an HND holder could now enter into public service
on Grade Level 08, the same entrance level for B.Sc holder.

She, however, explained that the HND graduate cannot rise above
level 14 except such a person acquires an additional degree for his
or her conversion to officer cadre that terminates at Grade Level
17.

The Head of Service made the clarification while briefing
newsmen on some of the achievements of her office under the Change
Agenda 2015-2018.

She said: “This issue of HND/B.Sc dichotomy came up after the
last National Council on Establishment and I think a lot of people
are still confused about the policy. What was approved by the
Council was that henceforth the HND holder can enter at the same
level with B. Sc, which is level 08.

“But the issue of where they stop still remains that they will
terminate at Grade level 14 unless they are able to acquire
additional relevant degree that can now convert them to officer
cadre,” she said.

Oyo-Ita, also discussed that her Office has settled out of court
the outstanding promotion examination for Deputy Director,
Administration, involving 97 officers, which has been pending for
the last three years.

She said the promotion examination to the post of Director,
Administration, was subsequently held in collaboration with the
Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) at the Public Service
Institute of Nigeria on 18th January 2018.

She noted that in the areas of promotion and conversion of pool
officers between 2016 and 2018, about 10,735 officers were
promoted, 872 converted while over 4525 officers are awaiting the
results of 2018 promotion exercise.

She said in line with the commitment of President Muhammadu to
reposition the Federal Civil Service, Federal Civil Service
Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2017-2020 was developed
by her office and has since been approved by the Federal Executive
Council in 2017.

She said the implementation of the strategy has recorded
laudable achievements, especially in the areas of capacity
building, automation of processes, culture and attitudinal change
as well as public-private-partnership, which were the major
challenges confronting the Service.

Head of Service noted that while a total of 48, 210 staff have
benefited from various training programmes and workshops between
2015 and 2018, arrangements have been concluded for with the
Management Development Institutes (MDIs) to jointly deliver
Structured Mandatory Assessment-based Training Programme (SMART-P),
Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD-P) and
Induction Training under the FCSSIP 2017-2020.

She disclosed that SMART-P training for the first batch of 1,500
officers would commence in March 2019 while the capacity fan gap
assessment of Civil Servants has commenced with an online survey
across the Service.