Implementing the Draft 2024 Schemes of Service for Polytechnics has been suspended until grey areas are amended.
Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje who announced the suspension at a news briefing in Kaduna, explained that some areas require amendment including dichotomy against HND holders in other cadres and omission of some cadres.
“Allowing at least one skipping for all cadres like it is in other tertiary institutions in Nigeria and not elongating the waiting period for all promotions beyond 3 years”.
“The observations from the Committee of Rectors of Federal Polytechnics, Polytechnic staff unions, and the National Association of Polytechnic students have been forwarded to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation,” Bugaje said.
Prof. Bugaje also said NBTE cannot impose the new Scheme of Service after its final validation on any state polytechnic.
“ASUP should be reduced to where they belong, the state polytechnics and the new Scheme are not for them. All our accreditations in state polytechnics shall henceforth be strictly on academic programs only to ensure standards are maintained”
“Let me express our appreciation to NAPS, SSANIP, NASU, and FEPASU for handling this matter maturely and sending constructive criticisms which shall surely be looked into and resolved before the new Schemes become fully operational.
“The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) wishes to bring to the attention of the public that the recently approved Schemes of Service for the Polytechnic sector has been circulated and proposals for amendments of grey areas passed to the Mother of Skills in Nigeria, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan
“The 2024 Schemes is a revolutionary document with its recognition of HND holders for the first time, as Graduate Assistants like their University counterparts in our Polytechnics,” he said.
The Executive Secretary stated that every Polytechnic student from this year has to do a Mandatory Skills Qualification (MSQ), before graduation.
According to him, a clause, which the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP, a union dominated by state polytechnics because of their larger numbers raised, was the introduction of the Nigerian Skills Qualifications NSQ certificate for the promotion of lecturers.
“NSQ was not an informal qualification as misjudged by ASUP and it was already approved and recognized in the National Schemes of Service.
“NBTE has noted the appeal made by the Federal Polytechnics Academic Staff Union FEPASU, stressing that the Schemes of Service was strictly for the Federal Polytechnics that they represent.
“Federal Polytechnics have ownership and governance peculiarities making them different from the State Polytechnics,” he said.
President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union in Abuja gave the Federal Government 15 days ultimatum, beginning from Monday, 8th of July, 2024 to address the union’s concerns regarding the document.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) had rejected the new Scheme of Service for Polytechnics by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), describing it as a setback for practitioners in the industry.
The union noted that several provisions in the document fell short of the expected standards as it earlier observed.
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