₦airaland Forum

The relegation of technical know-how in general manifests in many ways in Nigerian society. Parents want their children to become doctors and lawyers but rarely do they recommend engineers and technicians as role models for their kids. When you mention technical education, people think of nitty-gritty hard labour jobs, out in the sun in shorts and rolled up sleeves stained with oil and grease.

Virtually everyone dreams of posh office environments, with telephones, computers and air-conditioners. Everyone wants to become the "oga" in the MD's office who spins on a swivel-chair calling the shots without sweat. We have also witnessed the curious cadre of engineers who would rather not get into shorts and boots even when their jobs so demand. They too have contributed to the disdain faced by blue-collar professionals. All these could be ascribed to short-sighted sentiments of Nigerians from the early post independence days since there is growing evidence now that more Nigerians are coming to terms with the indispensability of technical know-how and technology even in everyday life. The winds of change in the economy of Nigeria since independence have left the white-collar heaven in desperation and frustration after many bouts of sudden retrenchments, retirements and rationalisations. To the bitter surprise of the white-collar champions, it is the technicians and the engineers who are better equipped to weather the storm of sudden loss of employment. It is the technicians and the engineers who can easily adjust to live on their "hand-work" or skills in various fields of human and socio-economic endeavour. The "ogas" and the bureaucratic managers are like fish out of water once their services are no longer required as is more often the trend these days in the bureaucracy. In the larger world of the private non-formal job market, you are better off being a retired but trained and competent technician than being a retired administrative officer. This reality is now a survival song in the Nigerian society.

When education is discussed at various fora the widespread discrimination and relegation of technical education in Nigeria rarely earns a mention. The regular issues dealt with include giving education a greater share of the national budget and the dichotomy in education between the North and the South, among others. These are undoubtedly important matters deserving as much attention and action as possible.

But we cannot also fail to recognise the dangers posed to Nigeria's progress by the national obsession with white-collar professions and vocations at the expense of the no-less-important technical education and skills acquisition aspect. This issue is gradually assuming alarming dimensions in the context of the increasing importance of technical know-how and technology in general in world development. The uncomfortable truth staring at us is that the modern world is technology-driven, with less premium on memo-pushing white-collar jobs that lure our people. It is therefore a matter of national urgency that steps are taken to realign our educational bearings to dovetail into the ongoing world-wide technological revolution.

I know now all thesame. Legs for the fun of it.

Seun,thank u I am back. It is better not to go to school at all than be a HND Holder. Do you know th latest? get to the Ministries.

Submit totally to his will, and He alone to be worshiped in truth and in spirit.

Good luck

He is lord of Lords A L M I G H T Y

legs:
leg[/I]) as He has the best connections ([I]longest leg[/I]) in the world
.

But Almighty is not a classmate of MTN

You are all very right. the polytechnics were expected to run courses at OND only later for HND. HND is not equal to Bsc but only equivalent in professional courses. Do you have HND English, yoruba, history ,mathematic etc. but you have degrees in those area.
Because there is no job that is why the prononcement. Leave the technicians and the technologists to do their work. What are the graduates looking for in workshops they should go and design for the HND holders.
Remember I own PhD in engineering now but I started from the HND. Its all useless

Whatever thy sowth so shall ye reap. God has his will and gave you your own will what else.

My brother Electrical Engineer you have nothing to be afraid of. Try and skill up practically ,work with registered electrical engineer keep your log book , then obtain NSE and process your registration with COREN.

I have friends who are PhD holders like me who had 3rd class at the Bsc level. (i had HND then) We met at the PGD class then Msc then PhD. They are doing well. Nigerian society of engineers do no discriminate on your grade . Good luck.

Legs please don't tempt our creator definitely not like your own legs.

whizkid:
Anyway before we start proferring solutions or advices, the brother should do well by telling us what course he studied, then we can take it from there.

Once we know the course we will give him the solution.

Easter, Hajj, and Spiritual Awakening




Easter and Hajj are perhaps the most important festivals of Christianity and Islam respectively - two world religions that have so much in common in their essence but which are at loggerheads in so many parts of the world. The focus of both religions has been on organizations, which provide material benefits and earthly influence for their leaders and close associates. Their common core has become veiled as the emphasis has shifted from individual search for truth and individual relationship with the Creator. Easter is preceded by the Holy Week, the last week of Lent, a 40-day penitential period of prayer and fasting (which reminds one of the Muslim Ramadan). The Friday before Easter is the so-called “Good Friday”, commemorating the death on the Cross-of Jesus Christ, while Easter celebrates Christ’s resurrection. Easter is central to the whole Christian calendar. The dates of all movable Christian feasts (in contrast to festivals like Christmas whose dates are fixed) are based on the date of Easter. Moreover, the whole liturgical calendar of worship (the dates for observing various Church rituals) is arranged around the date of Easter. There are two major celebrations in Islam. The first marks the completion of Ramadan, the month during which Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification and betterment. This celebration is known as Eid ul-Fitr. The second major Islamic celebration takes place during the time of the Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is one of the “five pillars” of Islam, and thus an essential part of Muslim faith and practice. Although only the pilgrims in Mecca can participate fully in the Hajj, all other Muslims in the world join with them by celebrating the Eid ul-Adha or Festival of Sacrifice.

Many countries of the world (especially the developing countries) have never had so many churches and so many mosques have never known a greater intensity of religious activities and zeal. And yet in these same countries we witness so much hatred and distrust among religious individuals and a dogged resistance against peaceful and just solutions to the multifarious national and global problems. Those who are most flagrantly unjust and corrupt and those who grossly abuse public office are to be found in the ranks of the self-proclaimed staunchest religious champions. What can be the explanation? Is it possible that these religions no longer have the power to make us good human beings? Is it the case that we do not really understand the teachings brought by Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him)? Both teachings came from God, and both are emphatic about justice and love, and respect for human lives and human rights. May it be that we are mere hypocrites and that we have no conviction in these teachings? We do not need to think deeply before we come to the conclusion that Christian and Muslim ideals are patently lacking in the social, economic, and political life of today’s world.

The period of Lent leading to Easter is a time for reflection, genuine change, and a genuine striving to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. Hajj presents the same opportunities with respect to the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Let us be reminded that both Easter and the Hajj are about spiritual awakening, about inner change, about being truly born again. Parenthetically, I should note that there is widespread misunderstanding and debasement of the spiritual concept of being “born again”. The Hajj is meant to be an opportunity to seek forgiveness of sins accumulated throughout one’s life. Prophet Mohammed is reported to have said that a person who performs Hajj properly “will return as a newly born baby”, determined not to sin again, and resolved to forgive the sins others may have committed against him or her. The pilgrimage also enables Moslems of different races, ethnic groups, and languages from all over the world to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. The Hajj is not a religious jamboree but a deeply spiritual event. The rites of the Hajj include going around the Ka'bah seven times and going seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa. In the knowledge that the number seven signifies “spirit”, one can say that the rites testify to the deep spiritual nature of Hajj. Whoever does not celebrate it in spirit gains nothing.

The term “Easter” was first used when Christianity was introduced to the Saxons. Before this time, the Saxons had held an annual feast in honor of the ancient Teutonic goddess of Spring called Eostre. The name was transferred to the Christian observance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Spring is the season that marks the awakening of nature following the slumber or “death” during the Winter months. In the Tropics, which unlike the Temperate Zone, has only two seasons (wet and dry) this “death” and resurrection of nature is not as dramatic as it is in the Temperate Zone. But the phenomenon does exist. In the dry season, grasses die, some trees shed their leaves, and the activities of some species of animals are curtailed, similar to the conditions of Winter. At the start of the rainy season, there is a new growth of grasses and leaves and a revitalization of animal activities, reminiscent of Spring.

Easter has always been closely linked with Spring, the season of the awakening or the “resurrection” of nature. In the early years of Christianity, Jewish Christians observed the resurrection and Passover together on the 14th day of Nisan, the Jewish month roughly corresponding with April. However, Gentile Christians celebrated the resurrection every Sunday with a special emphasis on the Sunday closest to the 14th day of Nisan. To settle this difference, church leaders fixed the date for Easter at the Nicene Council in 325 AD. They decided that Easter would be the first Sunday following the Paschal full moon. The Paschal full moon is the first full moon after the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 21; March 21 marks the official beginning of Spring. The system that was agreed at the Nicene Council for fixing the date of Easter is still followed today. Therefore, Easter Sunday moves between March 22 and April 25. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church follows a slightly different calculation. As a result, the Orthodox Easter, although sometimes coinciding with that of other Christians, can fall one, four, or five weeks later. But it still remains a springtime celebration. It is interesting to note the dependence of the date of Easter on the moon, just like Muslim festivals.

As a celebration of the awakening of nature, Easter should become a festival of spiritual awakening and renewal for all human beings, regardless of religion. We should consider Easter a time for the awakening of the inner self; a “resurrection” of our individual spirits from spiritual slumbers. It is a time to rededicate ourselves to doing the Will of God so that we who have journeyed as immature spirits into the deep vale of the World of Matter may one day be able to ascend into Paradise, our permanent home. May all peoples, particularly Christian and Muslim political leaders around the world, be imbued with the sense of love, justice, humility, and tolerance that comes with genuine spiritual renewal, which is the essential purpose of both Easter and Hajj. And may such love, justice, humility, and tolerance translates into actions, so that ray of spiritual light may begin to break through the ethereal darkness that envelops the earth. Amen.

Efforts to make the individual countries of the world as well as the global system more loving, more just, and more equitable deserve the support of every true follower of the teachings of Jesus and/or of Prophet Mohammed through concrete deeds and not by mere words. The good news is that, in line with the special spiritual nature of our times, all genuine good volition is supported strongly by invisible, non-physical powers. Therefore, we should not be afraid of the apparent might of human beings and governments that may be bent on perpetuating injustice and evil; they must fail, sooner or later. In the end, the power of the Light will shatter the ethereal darkness hanging over the earth. Spiritual light will shine brightly on us and with the destruction of ethereal darkness and its agents, materialism and religiosity will give way to a genuine desire to learn and to do the true Will of God, which is once again revealed to us at this time of the Cosmic Turning Point in the work entitled “In the Light of Truth, The Grail Message” by Abd-ru-shin (civil name Oskar Ernst Bernhardt). We would do so as independent individuals who jealously guard our God-given Free Will and who refuse to be mere tools in the hands of leaders of religious and related organizations as well as other manipulators.By Stephen Lampe

Over 2000 year issue, ha pastor must chop. Most of the old practices has been drop why do u tithe your self again , because it has to do with NAIRA period, but God can not spend naira now. be wise men

Who is layman, a dogmatic man that take false things as real in the name of believe "Both sorrow and joy are constantly rapping at the door
to encourage and arouse man to awaken spiritually.
He is then very often freed for a few seconds from the
trivialities of everyday life, and in happiness or grief
vaguely senses his affinity with the spirit pulsating
through all that lives."

Bible emphatically says for you to pray to Him through His son Jesus Christ. pure dogman, believe and settle with yr 10% abi pastor must chop.

kodewrita,you seems to know little about religion. read the following
The "Bible" means books where ''written word of God'' are kept by the traditions of catholics
- The "Tradition" is the word of God becoming real in the life of the Church. The Tradition is the word of God lived and preached in the Church.
This Tradition is transmitted "orally", and often it is printed (Luke.1:2). In Christ's time there was no printing, so, very few people could read anything from the books and the Gospels were not yet written... and they were very good Christians those in the Catacombs, without the New Testament written!... and, in fact, until the sixteenth century very few books were written. When was printing press and computers came?

Some Protestants argue they only have the Bible, and no Tradition. But they deceit themselves, because the way they celebrate worship is usually Tradition, very different from one denomination to another... the services and songs of the Lutherans are different of those of the Methodists or Pentecostals... they understand and live the Sacraments in very different ways from denomination to denomination, but the same denomination practice them usually in the same ways, as a Tradition taught by the founder or leaders... and that's Tradition.

Every branch, or denomination, or cult add to the Bible the scriptures of their founders or leaders. And these added scriptures are often very important, usually the ones followed by the denomination or cult to carry their religious services and to guide the actual life and stile of their members. Look at Holy Scriptures

For the Lutherans, for example, the Bible is the Holy Scripture... however what rules and regulates their rituals, administration, and the practical way of life is the "Book of Concord" and their many rules and regulations of their synods.

The same rule is applicable for each one of the many Christian Denominations... it is actually what the Catholics call "Tradition", and it is what actually makes the difference between one Christian Denomination ant other.

The same rule applies to each Branch or Denomination of Judaism, Islam, or Eastern Religions. Stop that act please.

Religion is a strange and sometimes even an irrational thing. People have an amazing ability to compartmentalize learning so that various things never have to interact in their minds.

So it is that apparently educated people can actually suspend their thought processes and reject evolution for "creation science", seek to deny that homosexuality is a given rather than a chosen way of life, or even believe that miracles occur whenever they pray for them. It is not that their minds are closed so much as it is that they cannot allow anything into their minds that threatens the core of their security-giving religious faith.

As I get older, I am impressed by two constant truths:
It is not easy to be human. Anxiety and mortality have to be embraced by self-conscious creatures and that is what [list][li]makes our humanity so unique among the creatures of this earth.[/li]
[li]Religion is primarily a search for security and not a search for truth. Religion is what we so often use to bank the fires of our anxiety. That is why religion tends toward becoming excessive, neurotic, controlling and even evil. That is why a religious government is always a cruel government.[/li][/list]

People need to understand that questioning and doubting are healthy, human activities to be encouraged not to be feared. Certainly is a vice not a virtue. Insecurity is something to be grasped and treasured. A true and healthy religious system will encourage each of these activities. A sick and fearful religious system will seek to remove them.

Merit is no longer the point here it is the spoil system a.k.a long leg. A lawyer in this country had a 3rd class pass, today his name ring bells.

Hnd and 3rd class pass are not equal. Degree is degree.

Take up professional courses leading to MBA , ICAN etc. If you so much love academic, do not panic. Take up A PGD with 3.5 and above I.e 60%. You can have an academic master degree instead of professional master degree.

That is not the point. If u discover nko, What will u do. So many do have man-friend just to have enough when getting ready for society marriage. No love if there is no contacts. Na long throat dey make person wait for 5 years not love. Love thinks of only what benefits the other not what can I benefit from her or him. You are waiting for dollars then not love.

Pinky:

HND Holder link=topic=469.msg5513#msg5513 date=1118760138:
It works but not so well, always after so many abortions for the man by others and by the woman with uncountable abortions for another man .

OND holder, wats all this abortion story about

ask those with the experiece, as the lady might help another man to carry his load(BABY)

It works but not so well, always after so many abortions for the man by others and by the woman with uncountable abortions for another man .

if clearing his name was a battle, recovering from the ordeal he has faced over the past 18 months will be the biggest challenge of his life.

niyyie:

HND Holder link=topic=465.msg5436#msg5436 date=1118745380:
Tell Mukaila Jackson to come home to mether Africa land to come and marry. So many Lagos girls will sleep with him free of charge . He should stop sleeping with 13 years old boys.

Some dudes can be really really funny. Thanks for the humour all the same.

IAH:
Michael Jackson has just been discharged and acquitted of all 10-count charges. (Abi how do the lawyers say it?) Hurray!!!!! I'm happy!

Tell Mukaila Jackson to come home to mother Africa to come and marry. So many Lagos girls will sleep with him free of charge . He should stop sleeping with 13 years old boys. He should not worry about his noise once he has dollars.

go straight to a university and obtain the degree, anyhow..... good talk

This is a case of quantity for quality.

Going commercial yes! not with forum, take commercial adverts  like yahoo, allow singles to look for lovers etc. Introduction of fee will scare people away from your site. Please note that not everybody can link up with the wed in Nigeria. Please keep this site up for free until you are sure of over 3,000 users

There is no doubt that the industrial growth of any nation depends on the level of the educational advancement and development of its middle level manpower. There are many polytechnic students with the Higher National Diploma (HND). Their presence in any economy ensures its growth and development and by implication its national development. The consequence of its absence in any nation is lack of development or slow national development. This is exactly the case and problem with Nigeria. Even though Nigeria has many polytechnics that produce these middle level manpower, its economy has refused to grow. This is attributed to the disparity and controversy between the HND and Bachelors degree, which resulted in many students opting for the university education, which is purely academic and theoretical as against polytechnic education which is practical and pragmatic. The idea is that with bachelors degree they will acquire better jobs and earn more salary. This tragedy has resulted in the mass exodus of students from the polytechnic to the university thereby creating a vacuum hard to be filled, in the nation's labour market, all due to disparity and controversy surrounding the HND and Bachelors degree. This has done more harm than good to the economic development and educational advancement of this nation. It has generated also a lot of controversy than progress in the educational system.
For a long time, this controversy has been a thorn on the flesh of Nigeria's educational system.(Okumephuna 2003) It is high time a lasting solution is given to the hydra-headed problem. Elsewhere there may be a big gap and difference between the polytechnic education and that of the university. But here in Nigeria the differences are not conspicuous. These little differences therefore, should not be the reason for the disparity between the two systems. It should also not be a reason for the disparity or controversy between the HND and Bachelors degree.
In the first place, it is important to note that the two systems are not the same and can never be the same. One is also not an alternative to the other. Polytechnic education is purely a techno-scientific education. This is in contrast to that of the university that is predominantly academic.
The argument here is that while polytechnic education is more of practical, that of the university is theoretical. Polytechnic education is, for instance, 60 per cent practical and 40 percent theoretical while that of the university is vice versa. This little explanation is a pure pointer to the fact that both educational systems are not the same or is one an alternative to the other. Therefore, a student who is opting for the polytechnic education should bear in mind that he is opting for a practical- oriented education. He can only switch to the university if he wants to go academic or theoretical. In a nutshell, one does not enter a polytechnic as a last resort. It is a different educational system with its own mission, vision and, of course, a clear objective.
Having seen their peculiar attributes, one will now ask why the disparity or controversy between the HND and the Bachelors degree? This is a result of ignorance of those in government and public sector. The stakeholders in our educational system are to be blamed too. There is no basis for the disparity between the honours if the points are examined critically and objectively.
One needs four credits to gain admission into a Nigerian polytechnic against five required for the university system. The margin, frankly speaking, is not much and should not warrant the controversy. In fact, majority of the students in the polytechnics gained admission with more than five credits. The writer gained admission into the famous Mass Communications Department of the Oko Polytechnic with eight distinctions. Similar to the above point is the fact that polytechnic education lasts for five years while that of the university lasts for four years. One should have thought that the extra one year in the polytechnic would have made up for their supposed four credits on admission. In addition to that, one takes three subjects in the Polytechnic/Colleges of Education Examination to gain admission into the polytechnic while the University Matriculation Examination requires only one, which is not even a big margin.
The least qualification one needs for employment in the university, which is Bachelors degree, is also what is required in the polytechnic. This is also the case with the Doctorate degree, which is the highest qualification in both systems. The professorial title is just a title, which many Chief Lecturers in the polytechnics are qualified to be given. This is also the case with their standards of education. They are just the same. In fact, it has been proved time without number that some courses in the polytechnic are by far superior to that of their university counterparts. Accountancy is one of such courses and statistics of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) shows that HND graduates of the polytechnics pass their ICAN examinations more than their university counterparts. Mass Communication is also another and likewise the Engineering courses.
Today the polytechnic graduates are competing favourably with their university counterparts in the labour market. This is also a pointer to the fact that university education in Nigeria has no strong and effective regulation unlike their polytechnic counterparts. No polytechnic can venture or dare to do any course in Nigeria today without getting a go-ahead accreditation, temporary accreditation and permanent accreditation respectively from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which is now being called the National Polytechnic Commission. This permanent accreditation is even subject to review every four years. Any polytechnic that violates this guideline receives a sledgehammer immediately from the Commission. The Commission is very serious, rigid and strict on this. This is the reason polytechnic education is undiluted, qualitative and competes favourably with the university system. The alacrity, speed and manner in which some university, some of which are not up to the polytechnic level, churn out graduates in courses it is clear beyond doubt that they are not qualified to do leaves much to be desired about their universal status and puts their standard, credibility and regulation to great question. Even the manner the new ones spring up day-by-day is an urgent matter of concern.

RESOLVING THE SITUATION
The problems have already been outlined and the parties are in discussion. There is therefore the expectation that the issues outstanding will be resolved in due time. However, there is certainly an urgency that cannot be wished away in dealing with the key issues of recognition, title, remuneration and amendment of the Decrees.
On Recognition: One of the major problems has been the perception of the HND as middle level, technical manpower because the polytechnics are lumped with technical schools under the same regulatory body - National Board for Technical Education. This is why NITE had called for the establishment of a Polytechnics Commission in the 1996 Engineering Assembly paper. It is very heartening that the Federal Government has decided to set up one. This will now enable the polytechnics to exploit to the fullest relevant provisions of the Education Decree No. 16 of 1985 for training engineers, technologists and technicians with the type of orientation NICORHEN had noted in section 2.2 of its Summary of Findings and Observations - professionals with an emphasis on application and development.
On Title and Designation: The American Model designates holders of the 4-yr engineering technology program (BS ET) as engineers, the same way as the holder of the HND or CNAA degree is in the British system. Thus, it is a wonder why there is so much resistance to accepting this title for the HND holder in Nigeria.
On Remuneration: The placement of a bar at GL 14 for holders of HND is also a major issue. The earlier this bar is lifted the better. Therefore, COREN must be commended for lending its voice to this call in its memorandum to the Federal Ministry of Establishment. .

NBTE restructures ND programme to 3yrs
THE two- year National Diploma (ND) programme in the nation’s Polytechnics is soon to be re-structured into a three-year programme made up of two years of full academic work and one year of compulsory supervised industrial work experience. According to the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr Nuru Yakubu, this was part of the resolutions reached at the consultative meeting of the professional registration councils recently. Speaking at the opening of the 18th consultative meeting of officials of NBTE and Rectors of Nigerians Polytechnics in Kaduna on Wednesday, he also revealed that the councils have agreed that ND certificate should become a qualifying basis for direct entry into Higher National Diploma (HND) or Bachelor’s degree in Technology (B.Tech) in Polytechnics ‘as this will effectively stem the drift from the technical cadre.’

Thank you. For HND man to go to the university is waste of brain and resources. Polytechnic education should be assurance against Hunger and Unemployment. Those that cannot stand it could go for a time wasting venture using fake GCE results or Sold WAEC/JAMB question papers. No pride in failure, you know.

Nigerian education system failed with the introduction of polytechnics. The best for our educational policy is the British way.

The Kaduna Polytechnic Will Soon Begin PhD Programmes'

Engineer Danjuma Ismaila Isah, the  rector of Kaduna Polytechnic has affirmed that his institution will soon begin a series of PhD programmes which would put polytechnic graduates on an equal level with their University counterparts

  Anexisting qualifications tussle between the polytechnics and universities in Nigeria, whereby the polytechnic graduates are not considered equals of the university graduates. A lot of concerns has been generated in this respect.

Technical education in Nigeria  is still new trying to show that no country develops technologically without it, and this is the primary constituency of the polytechnics.
But there have been some stumbling blocks for those who attend technical schools in Nigeria. I mean polytechnics, Colleges of Technology etc. and there are forms of discrimination after their education. Engineer Danjuma Ismaila Isah confimed that a lot of parents have negative perceptions about technical education. The reason is that  Higher National Diploma (HND), holder may be compelled to work under somebody who has a Bachelor of Science (BSc) from a University.

I was a victim of this kind of situation during my time,said  Engineer Danjuma Ismaila Isah. "when I became the Head of Electrical Engineering Department of the Kaduna Polytechnic in 1991. I saw a work done by somebody before. The project was on how to bridge HND and Degree programmes. He recommended a "post-HND" programme. The post-HND is a 2 year programme. I thought about it, and said, look, why don't we execute this?"
whenever  students finish their HND, they go to the University and they are denied of masters degree admissions. They are forced to start from 100 level or 200 level. When they get to the University, the orientation is quite different from the technical orientation they had in the polytechnic.  HND level, was the end of  academic progress in Polytechnic.  whereas those graduated from Universities will go for a master's degree and PhD. By the time they return, the polytechnic graduate is still a technician.

Parents  prefer that their children sit for GCE 5 times and JAMB as many times as possible, to get to the Universities.

Luckily Engineer Danjuma Ismaila Isah succeeded in getting accreditation for the post-HND progrmme. This makes Kaduna polytechnic, the first of its kind in the entire Africa to run such programme.

Up till today, Kaduna polytechnic is the only polytechnic running post-HND programmes which qualify  graduates automatically for a masters' degree in the Universities. The programme is fully registered with the council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria COREN.

Now there is no disparity between graduates of Kaduna Polytechnic and their University counterparts.

HND holders problem began because HND graduates are made to start afresh when they get to the university. After that, all they learn in the polytechnic disappears. So, the post HND prevented the loss of technical knowledge which the graduates acquired from the polytechnics, and  also provide the BSc equivalent. That stops changing students back into the mainstream of the University. So that mean total liberation students can proceed in the polytechnic with their masters and PhD programmes!

Kaduna polytechnic are liberated from the unnecessary discrimination from their university counterparts.

Give the Polytechnics a Chance

The nation's economy can only be developed through the creation of entrepreneurs through the evolution of a sound technical education policy. This was the view of Professor Salawu, a professor of Electrical-Electronic Engineering at the University of Lagos. He also canvassed the elimination of all known social stigmas that have been making the choice of careers in technical education unattractive to Nigerian youths.

He maintained that technical education remains the only panacea to the resuscitation of the nation's ailing economy. He called on the Federal Government to step up measures reviewing the tertiary educational system to correct the imbalance between graduates of Polytechnics and Universities.

As a way of encouraging youths who are artisans in the informal sector, he suggested an intervention process to provide a form of skills' improvement strategy and retraining for them.

Nigerian Institute Of Technologists in Engineering want the government to undertake a total review of the tertiary educational system to correct the imbalance in production and expenditure between middle-level technical manpower and university professional graduates.

The salaries of Polytechnics and Universities should be harmonised so that there will be movement from one to the other. This will make it easy for Polytechnics to attract good quality workers.

Annual competition on innovation and inventions leading to awards for inventions.

A policy to take care of the informal sector such that artisans are periodically retrained to continually improve their skills, and additional allowance for technical subject teachers in secondary schools to attract more qualified teachers into the field. If all these are done, entrepreneurs would not only be created, [b]unemployment [/b]would also be greatly reduced.

N .I. T. E.

Nigerian Institute Of Technologists in Engineering

http://www.geocities.com/technologist_engr/principalpage.html
SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE PL0T 4 LINCA WAY ISOLO.
P.O.BOX 3910 IKEJA LAGOS STATE.
PHONE: 01-4802798.

I wish all HND holders could go back to the University for a degree in any useless course to escape these discriminations. I just want the world to know that HND is a stressful qualification.

In the public service despite all efforts to ensure pay parity and equal recognition to HND and B.Sc graduates, the situation still remains the same. For instance HND holders are employed on GL 07 (except HND in Engineering with the entry point of 08) the limit to an HND accountancy holder in the bursary or accounts department of an organization is level 13. Whereas a University degree can rise far above that, Grade Level 14 bar was placed on the HND holders who are Civil Servants by the government.

For HND holders, discrimination in labour market continues and this can not be justified. It is bad, many holders of HND today took Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) exams. Some in fact have eight credits at a single sitting but resorted to the Polytechnic for practical reasons, besides each HND programme is a five years programme at the polytechnic against the 4 years of the University which is now preferred and promoted above level 14 bar placed on the HND holders others with additional qualification like PGD had their level moved from 14 moved to level 09 in Engineering

Simple solution to HND is for the government to close close down the polytechnics.

AGAINST HND HOLDERS TODAY


Hate crimes, is a violent act against people or organization because of the group to which they belong or identify with these were tragic part of our history. The statistical history on hate crimes is meager. Nevertheless, Scientific research is beginning to yield some good perspectives on the general nature of crimes committed because of real or perceived differences in race, religion ethnicity or national origin, qualification, orientation disability or gender.

The offenses of hate range from simple assault (i.e. no weapon is involved) to aggravated assault. This kind of attack takes place on two levels, not only is it an attack on one's physical self, but it is an attack on one's very identity in this case HND certificate.

Most hate crimes are carried out by otherwise law-abiding people who see little wrong in their actions, the determinant appears to be personal prejudice, a situation that colours peoples judgment, blinding the aggressors to the immorality of what they are doing. Such prejudice is most disdains someone who is "different" or sees that difference as threatening.

One _expression of this prejudice is the perception that society sanctions attacks on certain groups.

Researchers have concluded that hate crimes are not necessarily random, uncontrollable inevitable occurrences. There is overwhelming evidence that society can intervene to reduce or prevent many forms of the hate that threatens and intimidates entire categories of (HND) people.

In the public service despite all efforts to ensure pay parity and equal recognition to HND and BSC graduates, the situation still remains the same. For instance HND holders are employed on GL 07 (except HND in Engineering with the entry point of 08) the limit to an HND accountancy holder in the bursary or accounts department of an organization is level 13. Whereas a University degree can rise far above that, this is another hate crime the Grade Level bar placed on the HND holders who are Civil Servants is undergoing attention. Gasper (2000) stated that the division of labour at engineering cadre is not to make one cadre superior to the other, hate crime must stop, and grade level bars must be removed.

For HND holders, discrimination in labour market continues and this can not be justified. It is bad, many holders of HND today took Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) exams. Some in fact have eight credits at a single sitting but resorted to the Polytechnic for practical reasons, besides each HND programme is a five years programme at the polytechnic against the 4 years of the University which is now preferred and promoted above level 14 bar placed on the HND.

Simple solution is for all those with HND to go into unionism or call for polytechnic cancellation . They should come together and cry out so that the government and everyone support them like the way Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers (NATE) are currently going about it, NATE is the only HND holders organized society for now, and the experience so far show the hate crimes from the B.Sc. Engineers. It is real and this must stop.

The body registered as NATE was formed in 1976 by a group of HND (Engineering) graduate who considered themselves marginalized by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) a group of University trained Engineering Scientist. The HND engineering graduates were refused recognition and registration as professional and often lumped in the technical cadre with those of lower qualification.

On establishment, the body sought to be registered as the Nigerian Institute of Technological Engineers (NITE). Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria opposed this. (COREN) for using the word INSTITUTE and ENGINEER the hate crime there is that the word "institute" would imply that it could set examinations to determine standards and the members were not recognized as Engineers. COREN finaly allowed the body to have its way , named and registered as Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers (NATE) in 1988, twelve full years after its establishment. NSE quickly established defense, as they want to succeed in retaining their position as the only umbrella organization for the whole range and cadres within the engineering family. The problem was how to be flexible enough to respond to needs of all within the engineering family without compromising the professional needs.

The challenge came first from graduates of British institutions whose qualification were discriminated against by NSE. In Britain this created no problems but here in Nigeria a developing country, it was a problem (hate crimes) since the NSE is anxious to be an umbrella organization.

This was what lead Geo-technical and Mining to have their own council called COMEG as rivals of COREN.

The problem of NSE became acute in 1976 when holders of HND float a body of Technological Engineers. Eng. Teju Oyeleye, then NSE president show the hatred by objecting to registration of anyone as an Engineer who did not have a University Degree. Eng. Faluyi did warn them against these hate crimes and advised caution in tackling the delicate issues involved, urging a committee to see how FTC holders and HND holders could join them as a full member of the NSE. This lead to the NSE graduate examination, which turned out to be "Money Making Venture" of NSE. Even then the first examination held by NSE was drawn for 20 candidates but only two showed up and only one wrote the paper. The other spent time to explain the Hate-Crimes as a pretest to why he should not write the examination. In 1985 the NSE introduced a local ladder an equivalent of CE I part II examination through the approval by council, the first exam proper was held in 1988 and by the end of 1990, 693 HND holders and FTC holders had taken the exam and for years only 124 had passed the examination and wait again for 2 years before been registered by COREN.

NATE challenge the right of NSE to conduct such exams in court but due to superior financial ability of NSE, the court was well attended by brilliant lawyers and the situation favor NSE as reported by Prof. Ade Ajayi's History of NSE and among the past debts inherited by Eng. Inuwa may also be reckoned as the sore problem caused by NATE who had taken the NSE to court over the graduateship examination for HND holders.

The "hate" became critical when Eng. Inuwa became president of COREN and again used his influence with the Government, he was able to complete the process of amending Decree 55 of 1970. Thus Degree 27 of 1992 finally rename Technological Engineers as Engineering Technologist. Before this new decree NATE was involved in the amendment. COREN, agreed to Technological Engineers in fact NATE suggested COREN'S new name "Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as a way to meet the desire of the HND holders. Several other issues were yet unresolved before some people with vested interest in COREN rushed into the amendment of the decree.

This end a rival organization was floated by COREN and financed by NSE named Nigerian Institute of Engineering Technologist (NIET) whose registration was rejected by corporate affairs commission (CAC) this was to put to rest the agitation of NATE.

NATE as an association has tried very much in championing the right cause of HND holders right from inception, NATE has always opposed the designation as engineering Technologist but for separation of Identity Technological Engineers was used. Re-designating courses run in the Polytechnic as Technology is a plan to prevent competition and it was so easy to libeled the HND Engineers as Technologist. In Canada Technologist is 3 years course and not in anyway trained as Nigerian HND.

Today we are witnessing Engineering and Engineers in Nigeria. COREN was swallowed by NSE even recently in the Trenched hall University of Ibadan at the 7th Arokodare Memorial lecture, Eng. Fadupin did not hide his feeling of hate when he openly called on the NSE to do more hates by opposing COREN registration through mature program. Since nurses, Pharmacists and lawyers do not have mature route, so I give him a support here so let every body go on a level playing ground so NSE will loose the leadership like the doctors. Today the Nurses and other paramedical stayed on their own. HND engineering can go to places and have their own council.

In 1998 an amicable resolution to this "hate crimes" was reached a mature route for was open for HND graduate, COREN counter proposal limit the mature route to 1982. NSE put a stop to this mature route in 1999 then NATE have to sacrifice by agreeing to change name for this, the mature route became open till December 2002 for graduate who are 45 years of age and obtained HND 1982. NATE was recognized

Consequently, NATE agreed to change name to Technologist-in-Engineering. COREN which has been sponsoring a rival group NIET for registration is in a delimma to withdraw that sponsorship or not, and the mature route was announced on November 16th at Owerri by COREN'S president Engr. Osoba. The important of this route is that in due course all those who graduate up to 1982 with HND would be Engineers leaving the Technologist, logically old name of NATE will become truly obsolete.




nate88engr@yahoo.com

N .I. T. E.

Nigerian Institute Of Technologists in Engineering

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