₦airaland Forum

Yes why is it that the work load in the polytechnic is more they should close these school if when you have the HND you can not move agian. Useless university certificates will be more useless.

ASUP was so selfish, all member of ASUP were university Drop out, they came as glorified lectures in polytechnic so they do not have what it takes to be a university of technology lecturers that is why

For sur the end has come for HND not polytechnic

You are not a cross bearer but your parents are. ok.

There are no two ways about it you must read and understand.

http://cinemaseekers.com/Christ/ref.html

"He who makes no effort to grasp aright the Word of the Lord burdens himself with guilt!"
ABD-RU-SHIN

hnd must reduce its work load or die in nigeria no retreat no surrender

I am still better than most degree holders who are my mates. B,Tech they say will replace the HND. I was planning to go to ADEDIBU house at Ibadan to report the monster call HND. But the man died, so if he can die HND will sure leave Nigeria.

I have no regrets as HND holder for it afford me to see something to fight for.
come 2008/2009 is the replacement of the monster call HND so they said.

In compass and tribune newspaper of yesterday I read that HND is going! going!! what does that mean?

THE RED LIGHT SIGNALS FOR THE POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION AND HND IN NIGERIA

Nigeria should grant the Polytechnics the power to award Bachelors degrees, Masters and PhD Degrees.

For those of us who took the decision of going to the Polytechnic in preference to a University on the believe that the Polytechnic training in some disciplines like Engineering, Accounting, etc should just take it that we have already made a mistake by Society's perspective and the only way of correcting it is by improving oneself to obtain higher degrees from the Universities, through the longer route of studying first for a Post Graduate Diploma.

If the refuse to either scrap the Polytechnics or the HND programmes, now that we know that the Nigerian Society does not recognise or give HND holders equal recognition as the Bachelors degree holders, we the HND holders now know that "We must NEVER allow our Wards, Children or Relatives to go to the Polytechnics. By the time this happens in the next 20 years, the Polytechnics will die a natural death. This is very simple.

With this, it will not matter whether or not the National Assembly passes a bill on BSC/HND parity or "Disparity" as the case maybe. Democracy is a game of numbers and in a National Assembly where you have more people with University degrees followed by those who hold no higher qualifications at all, it becomes clear the Holders of HND are in the minority and I wonder what magic we expect them to do in order to pass a bill that will favour holders on HND!!

As for the HND programmes and Polytechnics it is just a matter of time for it to face a natural extinction when they begin to experience very low or no patronage at all. If the Nigeria Education Planners do nothing about this disparity, then the Polytechnics will just die off, it will be then who have failed and not you the HND holder.

The truth is that an HND holder, who decides, either by way of carelessness or care-freeness or laziness, not to go back to school to obtain a higher certificate 5 to 10 years after obtaining the HND certificate, should blame himself or herself.

My advice to all HND holder is that they should just take the pains to go for a Postgraduate Diploma Programme, then a Masters and if possible a PhD, so that we can overcome all these trauma and embarrassment. Even if not for promotion at work, but to give you this psychological satisfaction that you can study higher than HND level and off course by the time you are in the same class with those who claim that they know better or that they are better because they hold the Bachelors degree, you would have convinced yourself that you are equally good and maybe even better. That way no Bachelors degree holder will tell you "RUBBISH" Even though I have a master degree today and presently pursuing a doctoral degree, I am proud and will remain proud that I started from the Polytechnic, if Nigeria is like America where you have Polytechnics like Massachusset Institute of Technology that have programmes up to PhD level, I will do all my studies and obtain all my Degrees from a Polytechnic.

There is no doubt that the Ministries of Education and the Education Ministers in Nigeria are a confused lot who have no focus as exemplified by "Oby due process” regime in the Ministry.

Come folks, let's improve ourselves and fortunes and then allow these already failed Nigeria Educational Planners to die with their dirty and unproductive-planning and execution of educational policies in Nigeria!!!

By Prince Uzoma Nwokorie
upn_1200@yahoo.com

THE RED LIGHT SIGNALS FOR THE POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION AND HND IN NIGERIA
Disturbing signals are beginning to emerge, as discrimination against holders of the higher national diploma qualification is becoming a serious indictment of our undue knack for certificates considering the impressive profile and success stories of many graduates from the polytechnics.
The likes of Educational minister (Minister of State 1)openly claimed that he was once in the polytechnic. Dr. Jerry Anthony Agada obtained a diploma in Commerce from Kaduna Polytechnic in 1973 as well as a Technical Teachers Certificate in Commerce of the Technical Teachers College, Yaba, Lagos in 1974. He proceeded to the University of Exeter (MARJONS) Plymouth, UK in 1981 where he obtained a Bachelor of Education Degree. Dr. Agada also holds a Master of Commerce in Marketing from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Scotland. Dr. Agada’s Ph.D is in Public Sector Management from Staton University, Florida in 2003. He also holds a certificate in Managing, Contracting and Partnership for Service Delivery University of Birmingham (School of Public Policy) in October, 2003.
He did not have HND as he claimed on the NTA Newsfile of Saturday. The Minister of State’s working career took him through Government College Keffi and Government College Makurdi as a teacher of Business Education. He rose through the rank to become the Principal of Government College Makurdi from 1988 – 1992. Dr. Agada
became Principal (Special Grade) in Government College, Utonkon (1993 – 1996). He was
the Executive Secretary, Benue State Examination Board (1996 – 1999) and then Permanent
Secretary in four Ministries in Benue State as follows: Ministry of Information, Youth, Sports
and Culture (1999 – 2000); Ministry of Education (2000 – 2001);Ministry of Local
Government and Chiefetaincy Affairs (2001 – 2006) and Bureau of Political Affairs
(February, 2006 – September, 2006). He voluntarily retired from the Benue State Civil
Service in September, 2006 and was the PDP Gubernatorial Aspirant for Benue State during
the December, 2006 primaries.Dr. Agada has some publications to his credit.
http://www.ican-ngr.org/31_acaholder.htm In Nigeria and most parts of the world, employers of labour now discriminate against chartered accountants that do not possess any university education on grounds that the professional training they received is restricted and parochial. In a global business environment, resource managers must necessarily possess broad-based knowledge which only the university curricula can provide.
ACA with Degrees and ACA with HNDs Although, the holder of a Bachelor's degree in accountancy from an accredited University and a holder of the Higher National Diploma from an accredited Polytechnic enjoy the same rating in ICAN's scheme of things, many employers of labour, including practicing firms, are now known to prefer degree holders to HND holders. The samples of adverts above did not mention the HND although one of them said a degree or its equivalent awarded by a reputable university! It is a known fact that no university in Nigeria awards any HND. Thus, their preference is unambiguous. In fact, the career path of the polytechnic holder in the public service has an unofficial bar according to an investigation conducted by The Guardian newspaper. According to the report, while the HND holder can rise to Grade level 13 or USS 12, the graduate can rise to Grade level 14 or USS 13. It added that some new generation banks have a policy of not recruiting HND holders at all.
Discrimination against holders of the higher national diploma HND qualification is a serious indictment "The best solution is for polytechnic lecturers to go on strike while the students protest. This is rubbish. Na wa o, don't we have people with HND certificate in the house of assembly?? Why can't they stand up and defend the polytechnic/HND curriculum?? who says polytechnic curriculum in engineering is only Technical?? It's not true; it is both technical, theoretical and contains design too. What about other fields like accountancy, architecture, surveying, computer science, statistics, estate mgt etc; are they also only technical without theory??
Holders of HND are not the same as their counterparts from the universities, House throws out Bill on Degree/HND Disparity. House of Representatives threw out a bill, seeking removal of the civil service disparity in the treatment of University Degree holders and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders. The bill, sponsored by Honourable Ini Udo from Akwa Ibom State, and seconded by Honourable Ekpo Ekperikpe, also from Akwa Ibom, was debated by the lawmakers for 30 minutes, and duly set aside after majority of the lawmakers adduced reasons to justify the disparity. Honourable Abbas Braimoh, while arguing against the bill, said “having done a cerebral dissection of the course content of universities and polytechnics as regards my profession, engineering, I have noticed that the polytechnics’ course content is technical, while that of the university is both technical and involves design, which to me is the core and fundamental aspect of engineering. Do accountants design? Technology is not the same as engineering, but what about B.Tech degress?
So with all due respect, holders of HND are not the same as their counterparts from the universities. Other members who supported the argument also argued along the same line, insisting that the prayers of the Bill were unnecessary.
The bill was first brought to the floor of the House in 2007, but could not be taken for political exigencies.
“why can't one or some of the senators move a motion for the scrapping of HND in Nigeria?? Since this is just waste of money and power, The HND issue is really a serious problem to Nigerians. Let them abolish HND and allow people to hear word i beg.”

They said they are planning to replace the HND, with what?

The opinion of Deputy President of NATE

N .A. T. E.
Nigerian Association Of Technologists-in-Engineering
http://www.geocities.com/technologist_engr/principalpage.html
SMALL SCALE IND. ESTATE
PL0T 4 LINCA WAY ISOLO.
P.O.BOX 3910 IKEJA LAGOS STATE.
PHONE: 01-4802798.

FG may phase out HND, NCE certificates
By Victor Sam
Published: Thursday, 29 May 2008
As part of its plan to reform the tertiary education the Federal Government has begun moves to gradually phase out the Higher National Diploma and the National Certificate of Education.

This is coming barely a week after the House of Representatives threw out a motion seeking to harmonise the HND and NCE with the Bachelor’s Degree awarded by universities.

Also, the federal government has restored the junior secondary level at all Federal Unity Colleges, which were phased out by the last administration.

It, therefore, mandated the National Examination Council to conduct entrance examination into JSS in all FUCs beginning this 2008/09 academic session.

The Minister of Education, Dr Igwe Aja-Nwachuku, stated these on Wednesday during a ministerial press briefing to mark the administration’s one year in office.

According to the Minister, government would strengthen the Polytechnics and COEs and make them first degree awarding institutions with the award of Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Education respectively.

FG shelves conversion of polytechnics to universities
Tribune 23.05.2008
The Federal Government said on Thursday in Abuja that it had shelved the planned conversion of polytechnics into universities. ``Our new direction is to make Polytechnics and Colleges of Education first degree awarding institutions.


``The consolidation of contiguous tertiary institutions has been suspended because of the uniqueness of polytechnics to national development,'' said Dr Aja Nwachukwu, the Education Minister.


Nwachukwu, who announced this at a news conference, said government had resolved to strengthen the institutions, to make them concentrate on their primary mandate.


``We decided to strengthen the polytechnic education and make the institutions concentrate on their primary mandate and increase access to tertiary education,'' he said.


Nwachukwu said government planned to phase out Higher National Diploma (HND) and replace it with Bachelor of Technology, as the institutions matured.


Colleges of Education (COE), he emphasised, would be upgraded to award Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in addition to National Certificate in Education (NCE).


Nwachukwu said Junior Secondary Schools had also been restored in unity colleges, in compliance with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) law.


``We have decided to bring back the JSS National Examinations Council (NECO) has been mandated to conduct entrance examination for JSS 1 students for 2008/2009 academic year,'' he said.


Nwachukwu said the concession of the schools to private operators had also been halted. “They are visible evidence of federal presence in many localities, giving them out negates these objectives,” he said.


``We also discovered that there was no risk-sharing arrangement in the plan. ``The operators would have been given money to run the schools, rather than they investing their resources, '' he said.

. http://www.ican-ngr.org/31_acaholder.htm
ACA Holders without University Education
In Nigeria and most parts of the world, employers of labour now discriminate against chartered accountants that do not possess any university education on grounds that the professional training they received is restricted and parochial. In a global business environment, resource managers must necessarily possess broad-based knowledge which only the university curricula can provide.
ACA with Degrees and ACA with HNDs
Although, the holder of a Bachelor's degree in accountancy from an accredited University and a holder of the Higher National Diploma from an accredited Polytechnic enjoy the same rating in ICAN's scheme of things, many employers of labour, including practicing firms, are now known to prefer degree holders to HND holders. The samples of adverts above did not mention the HND although one of them said a degree or its equivalent awarded by a reputable university! It is a known fact that no university in Nigeria awards any HND. Thus, their preference is unambiguous. In fact, the career path of the polytechnic holder in the public service has an unofficial bar according to an investigation conducted by The Guardian newspaper . According to the report, while the HND holder can rise to Grade level 13 or USS 12, the graduate can rise to Grade level 14 or USS 13. It added that some new generation banks have a policy of not recruiting HND holders at all. Discrimination against holders of the higher national diploma qualification is a serious indictment of our undue knack for certificates considering the impressive profile and success stories of many of our members who graduated from the polytechnics.

NSE & COREN KILL the bill.

[b]Let the world Judge, Guardian was RIGHT[/b]GUARDIAN
September 28, 2007

[b]Disturbing signals from Education Ministry[/b]From The Great Prophet Abubakar, Abuja

DISTURBING signals are beginning to emerge from the Federal Ministry of Education. Since the appointment of the trio of Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu (Minister), Dr Jerry Anthony Agada (Minister of State) and Mrs Aishat Jibril Dukku (Minster of State 2), no one is sure in which direction the education sector is turning.

It appears that the cabal, which former Education Minister, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili dismantled has re-grouped. The members of that cabal, badly bruised by Ezekwesili's various reforms, have since taken over the control of the Ministry, and have been having a ball in the new policy direction.

The various pronouncements made by Aja-Nwachukwu, since he became Minister give the impression that some old scores are simply being settled. For an individual who was a Senior lecturer at the Abia State University, and had verged into politics before his appointment, Nwachukwu is not sufficiently experienced about the dirty politics of the Federal Ministry of Education, and has, so far, played into the hands of those with a hidden agenda.

Nwachukwu is the seventh Minister of Education to be appointed since 1999. All the former Ministers spent far less than three years. At each point, all the Ministers tried to introduce some reform at the ministry, famous for inefficiency, contract awards, ineptitude and corruption. But each time, one obstacle or the other had prevented such reforms, until Ezekwesili took over in June 2006.

Driven by passion and the determination to make the best use of the less than one year that she had, Ezekwesili confronted the hydra headed problems at the Ministry on all fronts, taking decisive actions to the amazement of those who never thought such changes were possible. Of course, she made some mistakes along the way, but many of those who were affected had been part of the rot that had been entrenched at the Ministry over a very long period.

But Nwachukwu, who clearly does not have the full knowledge yet of the politics of the Ministry, has been dismantling the structures erected by his predecessor as advised, with no viable alternative being put in place.

First action: On August 31, Aja-Nwachuku had, through his media aides, reversed some appointments made by the former Minister before her departure to Washington DC to assume office as the Vice-President (African Region) of the World Bank. Some of the appointments reversed included that of the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Lami Taiwo, who was removed to pave the way for Dr. Ahmed Modibbo The Great Prophet, erstwhile Director/Chief Executive of the National Teachers' Institute, (NTI), Kaduna.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund (ETF), Mr. Mustapha Abba Jaji, who was barely one year into his second term as the chief executive was removed and replaced with Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu a lecturer from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.

The appointment of Dr. Amodu as the chief executive of UBEC by Ezekwesili was a result of her claims that UBEC had been overwhelmed by corruption. And she reiterated this while handing over to her successor recently, revealing that she had been pursuing the case at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The Commission itself had claimed to have uncovered about N3.6 billion fraud at the UBEC. The anti-graft agency, acting under the powers of section 6 (a-d) of ICPC 2000 Act, carried out a study of the activities of UBEC, during which it discovered irregularities in the disbursements of funds meant for some projects.

Dr. The Great Prophet has pledged to tackle cases of corrupt practices involving the staff of UBEC at the handing over ceremony, but how he intends to go about it remains to be seen. The only problem with the appointment of Amodu by Ezekwesili at that time, was that she had a number of superior officers ahead of her, one of whom should have been appointed at UBEC, according to civil service rules.

Then, Aja-Nwachukwu reversed, last month, the consolidation of the tertiary institutions. Under the arrangement, which was anchored by Prof. Yakubu, all the Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria, except Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology, were to be merged with adjoining Federal Universities within their areas of operation. The idea, which caused an uproar, was meant to make polytechnics degree-awarding institutions to mitigate the continued discrimination against the Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.

And now, Aja Nwachukwu has again, reversed the policy on unity schools.

In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Mr. Timothy Akpoili quoted the minister as announcing that the decision followed the meeting he held with the Schools Management Organizations (SMOs), which pre-qualified and bided to be allowed to run the schools in April this year.

In reversing the policy, the Minister was quoted by the spokesman as having expressed misgivings at the "manner and rush" in which the PPP arrangement was put in place, "which did not give room for consideration of wider views on how best the schools could be efficiently and effectively managed even as the arrangement threatened public interests".

According to him, while it was agreeable that the major problem facing the schools was that of management, which the PPP initiative was aimed at solving, the arrangement did not take into consideration the legal and technical framework or define the percentage risk the SMOs should bear.

"It is an open ended agreement", he had said, adding that the ministry would soon convoke a wider stakeholders' meeting where views on how best to run the unity schools would be arrived at.
But Aja-Nwachukuw has not visited any of the Unity schools since he assumed office to verify the various documents put together by his predecessor, nor has he provided an alternative in the quick manner as he has now dismantled the existing order.

Before the suspension of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, the Federal Government was to provide policy directive and finances, while the private sector people would carry out the day-to-day running of the colleges. This was with a view to restoring the institutions to their past glory.

In giving out the colleges to the interested groups after a publicly pre-qualified bidding on April 25, this year, the Ministry had chosen some SMOs to run the colleges, based on laid down criteria by the ministry.

What is not in doubt is the fact that the new set of ministers, since their assumption of office in July seem to be under pressure by some forces to reverse some of the policies which really did not go down well with their personal interests.

Aja-Nwachuku, in a chanced meeting with education reporters in his office about two months ago, had given a hint about his plan to "reform the reform". He has, so far, curiously, refused to give details.

The execution of the PPP itself has been a subject of controversy, from its conception to implementation, when the management of the unity schools was subjected to public domain. Indication that the policy would run into stormy waters emerged early in the life of the present administration. The National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Ahmadu Ali is one of those that have openly criticised the policy.

However, the UCOSA, under which auspices the old students of Unity Colleges won the right to manage 50 out of the 100 unity colleges in the country, also faulted the Minister's claims that the policy on the Unity schools was "rushed."

In a chat with The Guardian, Mr. Dauda Ndirpaya Iliya, the Chief executive Officer (CEO) of Pro-Unitate Forum said, on the contrary, the exercise was publicly advertised and open pre-qualification carried out transparently and honestly. "With the suspension of the PPP, the administration has taken that vital sub-sector of education backward for several years and has paved the way for the forces that have been retarding the development of secondary school education in the country to flourish.

"The latest development is very unfortunate and a clear signal of the lack of continuity of policies that have been the development in this country. The action will, lead, once again to rot in the sector and the modest achievements recorded in the past few months are now being reversed. This is moreso, when the current leadership in the ministry has no alternative, they are dismantling what has been put in place by the previous administration. In-fact, it is akin to throwing away the baby with the bath water".

Last saturday this minister claimed No discrimination that he is an HND holder. He want to be quoted.

A PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 20 AUGUST 2007 Vol 2 No. 34 Page 2

Dr. Jerry Anthony Agada (Minister of State 1) Dr. Jerry Anthony Agada obtained a diploma in Commerce from Kaduna Polytechnic in 1973 as well as a Technical Teachers Certificate in Commerce of the Technical Teachers College, Yaba, Lagos in 1974. He proceeded to the University of Exeter (MARJONS) Plymouth, UK in 1981 where he obtained a Bachelor of
Education Degree. Dr. Agada also holds a Master of Commerce in Marketing from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Scotland. Dr. Agada’s Ph.D is in Public Sector Management from Staton University, Florida in 2003. He also holds a
certificate in Managing, Contracting and Partnership for Service Delivery University of Birmingham (School of Public Policy) in October, 2003.

The Minister of State’s working career took him through Government College Keffi and
Government College Makurdi as a teacher of Business Education. He rose through the rank
to become the Principal of Government College Makurdi from 1988 – 1992. Dr. Agada
became Principal (Special Grade) in Government College, Utonkon (1993 – 1996). He was
the Executive Secretary, Benue State Examination Board (1996 – 1999) and then Permanent
Secretary in four Ministries in Benue State as follows: Ministry of Information, Youth, Sports
and Culture (1999 – 2000); Ministry of Education (2000 – 2001);Ministry of Local
Government and Chiefetaincy Affairs (2001 – 2006) and Bureau of Political Affairs
(February, 2006 – September, 2006). He voluntarily retired from the Benue State Civil
Service in September, 2006 and was the PDP Gubernatorial Aspirant for Benue State during
the December, 2006 primaries.
Dr. Agada has some publications to his credit.

You can see why I kept quiet

@ Ishmael

holders of HND are not the same as their counterparts from the universities

House Throws out Bill on Degree/HND Disparity
From Stanley Nkwazema in Abuja, 05.21.2008



House of Representatives yesterday threw out a bill, seeking removal of the civil service disparity in the treatment of University Degree holders and Higher  National Diploma (HND) holders.
The  bill, sponsored by Honourable  Ini Udo from Akwa Ibom State, and seconded by Honourable Ekpo Ekperikpe, also from  Akwa Ibom,  was  debated by the lawmakers for 30 minutes, and duly set aside after majority of the lawmakers  adduced reasons to justify the disparity.
Honourable Abbas Braimoh,  while arguing against the bill, said “having done a cerebral dissection of the course content of universities and polytechnics as regards my profession, engineering, I have noticed that the polytechnics’ course content is technical, while that of the university is both technical and involves design, which to me is the core and fundamental aspect of engineering.
So with all due respect,  holders of HND are not the same as their counterparts from the universities.”  Other members who supported the argument also argued along the same line,  insisting that the prayers of the Bill were unnecessary. 
The bill was first brought to the floor of the House in 2007, but could not be taken for political exigencies.

Those in the polytechnic today are the children of the poor. How can Technological education be placed in the hand of people who are not ready for it? Just by chance nobody want to be in the polytechnic it is always by chance. No wonder then that one credit holder can be in the polytechnic now.

We can not leave polytechnic in the hand of those who do not know the value. Pride of degree is now killing everybody.

Concerning HND and BSC

Guardian newspaper of 8/04/2008
SIR: I feel compelled to respond to the letter published in your newspaper about the disparity between the HND and BSc degrees, written by Rebecca Adeoba on March 25, 2008. It is surprising that the writer only tried to compare both degrees based on the number of years spent studying but he failed to mention the quality of the degrees.

You can't compare the two systems of learning based on the number of years only. Otherwise are we going to say that an apprentice mechanic is the same as a Mechanical Engineering graduate because they both spend five to seven years studying or is our education better than what obtains in American universities where students spend three years to get a degree? What of the curriculum, what of the quality of what is being taught and those teaching it?

BSc degrees are administered mainly by Professors and PhD holders who are well versed in their fields while it is very hard to find one PhD holder in a Polytechnic much less a professor. It should be noted that those who designed the educational system in the country meant to rate HND degrees lower than BSc degrees.

Or how would you explain a move by the Federal Government some two years back to attach Polytechnics to universities and elevate the two best Polytechnics to the status of universities. They were simply saying those two are too good to remain ordinary Polytechnics.

I think it is time we stepped up to the challenge of what we have built with our own hands. It is either Polytechnics remain as they are and continue to be below the universities or we genuinely transform them or scrap them altogether. Until we cross this bridge, things sadly will remain as they are. It is interesting to note that those making decisions for or against Polytechnics are all university graduates and I am yet to find a Polytechnic graduate who is a head of a Polytechnic.

Olawale Ogunibe
Lagos.

FG to Address Disparity Between Degree, HND Holders
From Toba Suleiman in Ado-Ekiti, 02.25.2008
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=104238

The Federal Government said at the weekend that in order to further widen the access to higher education as well as boost technical education, steps are being taken towards removing all forms of existing discrimination and discrepancies between the Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate and degree holders in the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Igwe Aja-Nwachuku made the disclosure at the weekend while speaking at the 14th Convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic,  Ado-Ekiti.
During the convocation, Rector of the Institution, Professor Olawumi Ajaja also disclosed that about 6,168 students received awards of both Higher National Diploma and  National Diploma (OND).
Ajaja stated further that while 4,219 got awards of ND, about 1,949 received the awards of HND, having completed their courses of study in the 2004/2005 and  2005/2006.
The Minister, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Mr Jerry Agaga said "in order to give fillip to our desires, government is planning to set up a stakeholder's Forum of Nigeria's education and economical sectors to fashion out a technical policy within the frame work of the National Policy on Education for our polytechnics and Colleges of Technology.
According to him, "this is envisioned to attract our youths to embrace technical educaton and thus acquire the knowlege, skill and attitudes that will assure fulfillment for the induvidual, prosperity for the nation as well a socio-economic stability.

"I am positive that whatever emerges at the end of the day will be acceptable to all and will be a catalyst that will rejuvenate this vital sector," the minister said.
The minister added that in an attempt to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs, the huge amount of money allocated to education in the 2008 budget by the Federal Government, was for teaching and research.

Speaking further, the minister said  the political will of the government in committing huge economic resources to education, especially teaching andresearch was not without purpose. He explained that it was predicated on the fact that the acquisition of relevant and appropriate technologies accompanied by a well-trained man power is the most effective means of empowerment for the citizenry.
He said it will stimulate and sustain national development, enhance employment, improve the quality of life and reduce poverty.
In his speech, the Rector of the institution, said the merging of polytecnics with universities would be tantamount to the outright scrapping of the former, which were establilshed in the first place for the production of middle-level skilled manpwer.
Ajaja emphasized that skilled manpower is precisely what the country is desperately needs at its present level of development.
He noted that the major rationale for the tertiary education consolidation policy, it would appear, was the apparent disparity between polytechnic and university graduates in the job market, which he said has resulted in the apathy of candidates towards polytechnic education.

The mentality of NIGERIAN Allah dey

John 16
1"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit
5"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
31"You believe at last!"[b] Jesus answered. 32"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Well come on board

Come are you trying to advertise your product here. I am a PhD holder in Engineering with a lot of publications. I work for a highly rated company. Still my HND is a Big Obstacle in my career, they say I am not a convect.

Am I preaching? you wrote about mixed marriage!

Veneration of Images
IMAGES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The First Commandment would seem absolutely to forbid the making of any kind of representation of men, animals, or even plants:

Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them (Exodus 20:3-5).

Whatever one may understand the mysterious ephod and theraphim to have been, there was the brazen serpent (Numbers 21:9), not destroyed till Ezechias did so (2 Kings 18:4), there were carved and moulded garlands of fruit and flowers and trees (Numbers 8:4; 1 Kings 6:18; 7:36); the king's throne rested on carved lions (1 Kings 10:19-20), Iions and bulls supported the basins in the temple (1 Kings 7:25, 29). Especially there are the cherubim, great carved figures of beasts (Ezekiel 1:5; 10:20, where they are called beasts), that stood over the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-22; 1 Kings 6:23-8; 8:6-7, etc.). But, except for the human heads of the cherubim (Ezekiel 41:19, Exodus 25:20, the references to them when combined seem to point irresistibly to some such figures as the Assyrian winged bulls with human heads), we read nothing of statues of men in the lawful cult of the Old Testament. In this point at least the Jew seems to have understood the commandment to forbid the making of such statues, though even this is not clear in the earlier periods. The ephod was certainly once a statue of human form (Judges 8:27; 17:5; 1 Samuel 19:13, etc.), and what were the theraphim (Judges 17:5)? Both were used in orthodox worship.

Sharing Communion
While the Church of Ireland welcomes at Holy Communion communicants of another denominations whose conscience allows them to receive, the Roman Catholic Church only permits "Eucharistic sharing" in exceptional circumstances (Directory on Ecumenism 1999 para 209).

Baptism
Baptism is into the Church of Christ and not into any one denomination. A baptism can take place in either church and be recognised by the other. There is a specially designed certificate for Christian Baptism which is recognised by all the churches.

The Religious Upbringing of the Children
As the Roman Catholic Directory on Mixed Marriages (1983) states: this is the joint responsibility of both parents and will depend very much upon your own religious practice. Each parent should be able to share something of their own tradition with their children.


Roman Catholic Canon Law requirements
When a Roman Catholic marries a Protestant certain formal documents are required by the Roman Catholic Church. They are:

(a) Permission to marry a baptised member of another Christian Church.
This is obtained from the bishop through the local parish priest. The priest will want to see the couple beforehand. Roman Catholic Canon Law (Canon 1125) requires him to ensure:

· that the Roman Catholic partner makes the declaration required of all Roman Catholics about the baptism and upbringing of their children

· that the couple know about the purposes and the essential properties of marriage.
When he is assured that this has been done the priest will apply to the bishop for a Permission.

(b) Dispensation from Canonical Form
This is required when the marriage takes place in a Protestant church, and is obtained from the Roman Catholic bishop. It is not automatically granted, but will be given "for serious pastoral reasons". It has become a common practice in recent years for a Dispensation from Form to be granted to enable a couple to follow the normal custom of marrying in the bride's church. (Although the Permission and Dispensation from Form are not required for the legality of the marriage , they are necessary to enable the Roman Catholic partner to remain in good standing with his/her church).

Relations with the Other Church
Interchurch couples often find that one or both are taking an active and meaningful part in the activities of the other church. With the arrival of your own family you may wish to attend both denominations as a family unit so that your children will have a knowledge and awareness of both traditions.

Both churches are trying to provide joint pastoral care for interchurch couples, and the Irish Council of Churches has produced a booklet Ministering to Interchurch Couples which you will find helpful.

In your marriage you as a couple can often find a unity in your primary church, the home, a unity which the churches themselves are still striving to achieve.[i][/i]

THE HELP PLANNING INTER-CHURCH MARRIAGE


It is recommended that both clergy should be consulted at an early stage. The wedding can take place in either church. Once the church has been chosen the actual ceremony and the administration of the vows can, for legal reasons, only be performed by the clergy of that church according to the rites and ceremonies of that church. If it is desired and agreed, the clergy of the other denomination can be invited to assist with prayers and readings.

If the wedding is to be in a Roman Catholic church it need not be a nuptial mass - in fact many couples prefer that it should not be. This way the Church clergy are free to take a fuller part in the ceremony and Church relatives are free from any eucharistic restrictions. Discuss your plans with both clergy.

The term mixed marriage originated in the Catholic Church, where it refers to a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic.

The Promise
ALL Roman Catholics, even those marrying another Roman Catholic, are asked the following:

Do you promise to do what you can within the unity of your partnership to have all the children of your marriage baptised and brought up in the Catholic-faith?

Directory on Mixed Marriages (1983) states how he or she succeeds in practice in the particular marriage depends not only on the Catholic's efforts, but also on the agreement and co-operation of the other partner (7.4) and the religious upbringing of the children is the joint responsibility of both parents. The obligations of the Catholic party do not, and cannot, cancel out, or
in any way call into question, the conscientious duty of the other party. (8.1). At section 8.5 it adds: The actual circumstances of the marriage form the context in which this obligation must be carried out, and these circumstances are bound to vary considerably. The possibility exists that, despite his or her best efforts, the Catholic will be in a situation where some or all of the children are brought up in the denomination of the other party.
Thus there are three possible outcomes for the upbringing of the children: that all are brought up as Roman Catholics, that some are brought up as Roman Catholics or that none are brought up as Roman Catholics. Any decision on this matter is the natural responsibility of the parents and should be made jointly from within the marriage. However, as a couple you should discuss this fully before you marry, resisting undue pressure – from whatever quarter.