Wednesday 6 March 2019

PROPER PLACEMENT: UGONSA CONFRONTS COMPTROLLER GENERALS OF PARAMILITARY OUTFITS

UGONSA has taken the battle for Proper Placement to the Comptroller Generals of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), Nigeria Imigration Service (NIS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). UGONSA also wrote a reminder on the subject matter to the Federal Minister of Interior with attention to the Director of Human Resources of the Ministry. In another separate letter  UGONSA further wrote the Director/Secretary of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration, and Prisons Services Board (CDFIBP). Recall that CDFIBP had in its advert for employment on Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday 30 April, 2018 placed all nurses (including those with B.N.Sc degree) on CONHESS 06 under the inspectorate cadre whereas their counterparts in Pharmacy (another core healthcare profession as nursing) with the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree were placed on CONHESS 09 under the superintendent cadre. Following the marginalizing advert, UGONSA had written the Federal Ministry of Interior on May 18th, 2018 but latest investigation revealed that the Ministry is yet to correct the aberration, hence the latest confrontation of all the heads of the paramilitary outfits under the Ministry of Interior involved in this aberrant under placement of the graduates of B.N.Sc degree as well as the board that oversees them with a reminder to the Minister. Below is a sample of the letters:    



The Comptroller General,
Nigeria Prison Service,
Prisons National Headquarters,
Bill Clinton Drive, 
Airport Road, Abuja.

Sir/Madam,

PROPER PLACEMENT OF GRADUATES OF BACHELOR OF NURSING SCIENCE (B.N.Sc) DEGREE

Nightingales’ greeting from members of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), the professional association of nurses with a minimum of first degree in nursing. 

2. We write to bring to your attention the extant situation on the placement of graduates of Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc) degree in the Civil Service post-NYSC (National Youth Service Corps).

3. Kindly note that on September 8, 2016 the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) released a circular, Ref No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97, which prescribed the placement of graduates of B.N.Sc degree as Grade Level 09 (.i.e CONHESS 08) post-NYSC (Kindly refer Annexure A). The release of the referred circular was sequel to National Council on Establishment (NCE) meeting held on July 22, 2016 in Minna, Niger State.

4. Following the release of the circular, the placement of graduate nurses in the civil service anywhere in Nigeria became the new base of Grade Level 09 post-NYSC (.i.e. the equivalent of the CONHESS 08).

5. This was as evidenced by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Circular, Ref No.C6093/T/13 dated 19th June, 2017, which succinctly clarified that the extant placement of graduates of B.N.Sc degree post-NYSC is GL 09 effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular by office of the HCSF) and that Nursing officers who were already in the service before this date, and are still below this new base shall be upgraded to the new base (.i.e. Grade Level 09) effective from the said date of release of the circular by the office of the HCSF (.i.e. 8th September, 2016) (Please refer Annexure B).

6. To ensure speedy implementation of the circulars by all institutions that employ graduate nurses, the FMOH vide another circular Ref No. C.6093/T/16 dated February 20, 2018 directed heads of institutions to expressly effect the proper placement of graduate nurses (kindly refer Annexure C). This resulted in massive implementation of the circular in many institutions round the federation.

7. We therefore most respectfully request that you kindly implement the proper placement of graduates of B.N.Sc degree in the Nigeria Prison Service by moving nurses employed by the service, who have B.N.Sc degree, to the superintendent cadre and forthwith make fresh appointment of the graduates of B.N.Sc degree on the superintendent cadre.

8. Our demand stemmed from our observation that in the advert for recruitment of officers made by the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration, and Prisons Services Board (CDFIBP) on Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday 30 April, 2018 all nurses (including those with B.N.Sc degree), were aberrantly placed on CONHESS 06 under the inspectorate cadre whereas their counterparts in Pharmacy (another core healthcare profession as nursing) with the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree were placed on CONHESS 09 under the superintendent cadre (please refer Annexure D).

9. This aberration, which we hope was not intentionally done, is at variance with the gazetted verdict of the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) award of the year 1981, which granted that the profession of Nursing is on parity with that of Pharmacy in Nigeria, as is the case in Great Britain (kindly refer Annexure E). 

10. Therefore, the basis for appointment of graduates of B.Pharm degree on the superintendent cadre also justifies why the graduates of the B.N.Sc degree, who are on parity with them, should be appointed on the same cadre especially as both professions of nursing and pharmacy have similar entry requirements and course duration for the first degree in the university plus a one year internship training pre-NYSC.

11. Having made these humble clarifications to your esteemed office, we anticipate soonest a positive reply that the proper placement of the graduate nurses has been effected by the prison service.

12. Attached herewith are the referenced circulars and documents.

PRAYER

We most respectfully demand that you 

1. upgrade existing officers possessing B.N.Sc degree who were aberrantly appointed on CONHESS 06 under the inspectorate cadre to the superintendent cadre on CONHESS 08 (.i.e. Grade Level 09) effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 by the office of the head of civil service of the federation) as prescribed by the civil service circular, Ref No. B63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002 (please refer Annexure F).

2. commence the employment of fresh graduate nurses into the prison services on CONHESS 08 under the superintendent cadre and upgrade the existing prison service officers possessing B.N.Sc degree who were wrongly employed below the new base of CONHESS 08 after 8th September, 2016 to CONHESS 08 effective from the date of their employment.

Kindly accept the assurances of our esteemed regards!

Signed:


CHIEF (HON.) S.E.O. EGWUENU                                    NURSE G.I. NSHI
National President                                                           National Secretary

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