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Halting the removal of Higher National Diploma (HND) in Pharmaceutical Technology by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has been temporarily ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Peter Lifu has instructed NBTE and PCN to suspend their decision regarding HND in Pharmaceutical Technology until the legal action brought against them by six Nigerian individuals is resolved.
Considering that NBTE and PCN are aware of the ongoing lawsuit and have engaged with the plaintiffs, the judge has directed them to maintain the current state of affairs until a final decision is reached.
Justice Lifu has specified that no actions should be taken by any party until a definitive ruling is made on the matter.
Prior to this, the judge had summoned NBTE and PCN to provide explanations for their intention to abolish the award of HND in Pharmaceutical Technology across Nigerian institutions.
Despite the directive for them to appear, the proceedings were stalled due to incomplete service of the filed documents.
However, the six plaintiffs, represented by lawyer Adewunmi Adebayo, sought permission through an ex-parte application to involve the Minister of Education in the case.
The plaintiffs justified this by indicating that the Ministerial meeting where the decision to eliminate the HND in Pharmaceutical Technology was reached was convened at the Minister’s behest.
Following arguments presented by Adebayo, Justice Lifu scheduled a ruling on the application for September 11.
Emphasizing the need to maintain the status quo until the plaintiffs’ grievances are resolved, the judge stressed the importance of upholding court orders for the sake of democracy and societal peace.
Kamaludin Umar, representing NBTE, assured the court of the organization’s commitment to abiding by legal directives and not acting contrary to the court’s orders.
In a circular dated April 7, 2024, NBTE had decided to discontinue the issuance of HND certificates in Pharmaceutical Technology in its affiliated institutions.
The circular announced the cessation of approvals for HND in Pharmacy Technician Programs while still permitting the accreditation of National Diploma in Pharmacy Technology.
The NBTE circular, signed by Executive Secretary Prof Idris Bugaje following a ministerial meeting, stipulated that existing students in the Pharmacy Technology program could complete their studies, but no new admissions would be made from April 2024 onwards.
Moreover, it indicated that graduates in Pharmacy Technology might face restrictions in clinical settings as per PCN’s guidelines but could explore employment opportunities in other sectors.
Expressing dissatisfaction with this decision, the six plaintiffs, led by lawyer Adewunmi Adebayo, approached the court for an interim injunction to prevent the implementation of the circular discontinuing the HND program in Pharmacy Technology.
Recognizing the national urgency of the matter, Justice Lifu instructed the plaintiffs to amend their documents to include all relevant parties due to the significance and sensitivity of the issue.
The plaintiffs in the case, identified by the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/911/2024, include Abdul Aziz Bello, AbdulRasheed Tanimu, Osaro Odeh, Comrade Olufemi Adebisi, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, and the National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria.
The defendants named in the case are NBTE and PCN.