Some
holders of Higher National Diploma have sued the Federal Government for
alleged discrimination in promotion, employment and remuneration
against them in public service.
They filed the suit before the National Industrial Court in Abuja.
The plaintiffs are Garba Bello, Babatunde Samuel, Jubril Kadiri, Christiana Owolabi, Chuba Umechukwu and Fatima Ahmed.
The plaintiffs said they sued for themselves and on behalf of other HND holders in public service.
The defendants are the National Council
on Establishments, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the
Attorney General of the Federation.
The plaintiffs are praying for an order
directing the defendants to implement the directives contained in the
Government White Paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on
the Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Sector.
In a supporting affidavit, Bello averred
that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had, in 2004 and 2005 embarked
on public sector reform and constituted a committee that addressed the
disparities in the public service.
He added that a White Paper Committee
was set up in 2007 for the consolidation of public service’ employees’
emoluments, and that in 2008 an Implementation Committee was also set
up, which made recommendations.
Bello said that despite these
“recommendations and conclusions, the applicants and other holders of
the HND certificates are still being discriminated against and still
suffer at the various work places.”
Hearing in the case was stalled on
Friday following an application by the counsel for the Head of Civil
Service of the Federation, A.K Kamar, seeking time to file a reply.
He said the office of his client was not aware that the case was fixed for hearing on Friday.
Plaintiffs’ lawyer, Nnaemeka Ejiofor,
told the court that despite their competence, HND holders in the public
service were not allowed to rise beyond Grade Level 14 as against their
university graduate counterparts.
He urged the court to grant the case accelerated hearing.
The presiding judge, Justice Babatunde
Adejumo, ordered the defendants to file all necessary processes and
adjourned the suit till September 18.
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