News
No basis for dichotomy between HND and BSc – SSANIP *Wants Tinubu to end discrimination
President Bola Tinubu, has been called upon to sign the bill ending the dichotomy between university and polytechnic graduates in Nigeria without delay, with the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), lamenting that the situation had adversely affected holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) as against those with Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) qualifications.
Phillips Ogunsipe, SSANIP National President, made the call who during the association’s congress hosted by the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) branch on Tuesday in Lagos, said the polytechnic sector at the national level had remained at the receiving end with the issue of dichotomy, describing it as a discriminatory practice and a great disservice to the country.
Noting that the ninth National Assembly, abrogated the dichotomy through the bill, he regretted that it was one of the documents that were not signed by former President, Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the basic entrance requirements of both the West African Examination Council (WAEC) of five credits and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), had since been harmonised.
“The quality of lectures we have in the polytechnic is not less nor inferior to what is obtained in the universities, hence the need for the bill to be signed into law. And we know that the average Nigerian parents, irrespective of the programme or course, will prefer to have their children in the university due to the recognition the society accords to B.Sc in Nigeria.
“Coming from these background and considering these procedures, we have not seen any need why the HND entry point will get lower and their terminal point will still be lower. We are concerned about the bill because Nigeria, like other developing nations, will only move, only if polytechnic education is given the recognition it deserves,” he added.
Also soliciting for the renewal of the agreement signed in 2010 between the 10 staff unions comprising of the NASU, university lecturers, senior staff in universities, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and the government, Ogunsipe, identified the agreement, renewable every three years as a way forward to end of industrial actions.
His words: “We started the process since 2017 and till today, it is still not concluded, this is not good and healthy for us. The only way to bring a permanent solution and end to this persistent industrial action by polytechnics, universities and Colleges of Education is for government to honour the agreement and do what is expected of it at the right time.”
He appealed to the Head of Service of the Federal, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan to assist the polytechnic system, by issuing a circular convening the release of the new scheme of service, adding that findings had shown that there was still no uniform, current and up-to-date scheme of service in all the polytechnics in the country.
“The process has been concluded and it is currently with the Office of Head of Service. Two weeks ago, we met with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, just to ensure that the new scheme of service is released,” he said.
Kayode Jason, the branch Chairman of YABATECH SSANIP, while commending Ogunsipe, for making out time to visit and update members on crucial issues in the union, said: “This is a laudable visit and we are sincerely honoured to have our national chairman in our midst and made out time to enlighten us on important areas which has remained a challenge.”
Meanwhile, Dr Tunde Nubi, Director of Medicals, YABATECH, who gave a talk on hypertension, urged members of the branch to always have their blood pressure checked and visit the hospital when necessary.
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
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