The Federal Government has said it has removed the dichotomy between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science degree in the Federal Civil Service.

Accordingly, it has enhanced the entry Salary Grade Level for all category of Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in the Federal Civil Service from Level 07 to Grade Level 08.

Permanent Secretary, Service, Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Ndubuisi Osuji, made this known during at the 40th National Council on Establishment holding in Owerri, Imo State capital.

He said this was in compliance with decisions reached at the 39th National Council on Establishment.

This was contained in a statement on Thursday in Abuja by an Assistant Director, Media Relations, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Timothy Akpoli, 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.

He listed some of these decisions to include uniform Scheme of Service for all category 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 category 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.

He also said that the meeting would consider a total of eighty memoranda comprising eighteen reference cases and sixty-six 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 the experiences of the officials have place on them a unique position to evaluate the memoranda and recommend measures that would have positive impact on service delivery, as well as improve the processes and system of operations in the Civil Service.

The Head of Service, Imo State, Mr Callistus Ekenze, in his address said that the meeting will signpost a lot of issues and throw up matters that will at the end gladden the mind of workers.

He 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. – Tribune