Law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) have called on relevant authorities to prevail on the Council on Legal Education (CLE) to rescind its decision not to admit them into the Nigerian Law School.
The graduates at the end of an extra-ordinary general meeting on September 28 in Abuja, urged the National Assembly as well as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to attend to their demand as a matter of national urgency.
They operate under the name National Open University Law Graduates Association (NOULGA).
At the end of the meeting, its Board of Directors expressed dismay that CLE, an agent of the Federal Government, is willfully frustrating the noble policy of its principal, which is designed to make quality education available to a vast majority of Nigerians and non-Nigerians in a manner that obtains across the globe without any form of discrimination.
The communique was signed by NOULGA’s Director General, Alex E. Okonofua; Director of Administration, Cletus Ugwuanyi; and Director, Media and Publicity, Tai Oguntayo.
About six graduates of the open university are currently in court against the CLE, but members of NOULGA with a population of about 2,000 reaffirmed their interest in dispute resolution.
“NOULGA frowned at the policy somersault in which foreign students who undergo law programme through correspondence, online and informal system are granted admission into Nigerian Law School whereas a duly accredited Law programme at NOUN, a Federal University is discriminated against,” the communique read in part.
They also noted that the Senate has already passed the NOUN Amendment Bill and urged the House of Representatives to follow suit.
The communiqué reads:
*Communique issued by the Board of Directors of the National Open University Law Graduates’ Association (NOULGA) at the end of its extra ordinary general meeting in Abuja on September 28, 2017*
After a week-long consultation & visitation to various stakeholders over the injustice meted on the Law Graduates of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) by their non admission into Nigerian Law School, the Board of Directors of NOULGA came out with the following communique:
(1) The BOD commended the efforts of the National Assembly towards ensuring the admission of NOUN Law Graduates into the Nigerian Law School and for presentation of NOUN graduates for the National Youth Service Corps Scheme. It described the National Assembly as truly serving the interest of oppressed people
(2). The recent passage of the NOUN Amendment Bill by the Senate was also described as a welcome development which is timely to save NOUN Law Graduates who have been deprived of their educational rights as guaranteed by the relevant laws of the land and the UN Charter.
(3). The BOD also commended the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation who once hosted NOULGA leadership where he told them “the law is on your side”. They urged him to expedite action, as promised, in invoking the law as enshrined in section 4 of the Legal Education Consolidation Act (1976) to direct the CLE to rescind its decision.
(4). The Senate, having passed the NOUN Amendment Bill, the House of Representatives is enjoined to also pass the bill without further delay in order to present it to the President for his assent. This will put to rest the unnecessary controversy on the NOUN Act.
(5). The BOD condemned a situation where NOUN, a Federal University, will graduate law students who are properly accredited by the National University Commission (NUC) and another government agency, Council of Legal Education will refuse to admit its students into Nigerian Law School after several years of study and financial commitment.
(6). NOUN Law graduates are Innocent third party in this matter and should not be made to suffer any injustice & discrimination
(7). BOD called on public spirited Nigerians to rise against the deliberate attempt to collapse the education system in Nigeria by those who have benefited from the same system in the past.
(8). NOULGA reiterates its commitment to modified alternative dispute resolution in solving the impasse though we are not unaware that some aggrieved individuals are legally challenging the injustice. We remain resolute & committed to peaceful resolution of the matter as all the institutions involved are government agencies.
(9). NOULGA frowned at the policy somersault in which foreign students who undergo law programme through correspondence, online and informal system are granted admission into Nigerian Law School whereas a duly accredited Law programme at NOUN, a Federal University is discriminated against.
(10). The BOD commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration on its anti corruption crusade and the outright cancellation of the disparity between the Polytechnic & University education certificates. In the light of this, the Federal Government is also urged to cancel the disparity that presently exists between NOUN Law Graduates & other conventional universities as regards admission into Nigerian law school.
