The Federal Government says it has removed the dichotomy between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (B.SC) degree in the Federal Civil Service.
With this new development, it has enhanced the entry Salary Grade Level for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in the Federal Civil Service from Level 07 to Grade Level 08.
Speaking at the 40th National Council on Establishment holding in Owerri, Imo State capital, Mr Ndubuisi Osuji, the Permanent Secretary, Service, Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, said this was in compliance with decisions reached at the 39th National Council on Establishment.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Mr Timothy Akpoli, an Assistant Director, Media Relations, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, on behalf of the Director of Communications.
Osuji was quoted to have said that the decisions arrived at the 39th NCE were fully implemented through various circulars conveyed to the relevant stakeholders.
Some of the decisions included uniform Scheme of Service for all categories of nurses with the common nomenclature of ‘Nursing Officers’: Internship for graduate nurses who do not possess the professional Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife qualification.
Others are enhancing entry Salary Grade Level 08 for all categories of Higher National Diploma (HND) holders; and creation of Assistant Education Officers Cadre SGL 07 – 14 for candidates with the requisite qualification in Special Education.
Osuji also said that the meeting considered 80 memoranda comprising 18 reference cases and 66 new memoranda, submitted by State Governments, Federal Government Agencies and other stakeholders.
In addition, he said the reports and recommendations of both the Standing Committees and Joint National Public Service Negotiating Councils were part of the agenda for the meeting.
According to him, the previous decisions of Council on the creation of new cadres, amendment or elongation of existing cadres, have been collated for inclusion in the on-going review of the Scheme of Service due to be published soon.
This, he noted, would achieve the twin objectives of producing a single reference document for all cadres/professional groups in the Civil Service, as well as reduce the numerous requests for clarifications and interpretation on various establishment decisions of Council.
Osuji urged the participants to bring their wealth of experience to bear during the deliberation, saying that their experiences have placed on them a unique position to evaluate the memoranda, recommend measures that would have positive impact on service delivery and improve the processes and system of operations in the civil service.
Earlier, Mr Callistus Ekenze, the Head of Service, Imo State, in his address had said that the meeting would signpost a lot of issues and throw up matters that will at the end gladden the mind of workers.
Ekenze called on all participants to give their best and contribute constructively to issues that will be raised. The NCE is a forum where the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Head of Service of the 36 states of the Federation and Permanent Secretaries (Establishment) in both the Federal and State Civil Service meet yearly to deliberate on matters affecting the Civil Service, especially the scheme and conditions of service.
