By Yakubu Abolaji Isowo

SIR: The unending frustration of law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) leaves much to be desired from federal government.

The crisis is now in the fifth year since President Buhari assumed office, and altogether seven years after their graduation. The quagmire, to say the least reflects thriving corruption and system failure.

The law school is a government’s facility, and therefore cannot be used by some individuals to settle personal scores.

This matter has lingered excessively and should be addressed forthwith. It is inane that despite Senate’s amendment of the controversial clause in NOUN Act which the president gave assent, the matter is still dancing. This is bizarre.

The question is, why must officials that are evidently frustrating government’s policies and citizens’ careers be retained in the cabinet? In which country would students that studied in a government’s institution be encumbered like this scenario? President Buhari has a duty to ensure that no vulnerable citizens are oppressed by advantaged individuals.

Perceptibly, NOUN was recommended for a strange one full-year Bar Part-1 to possibly, separate her graduates for malicious doses particularly mass failures.

Otherwise, on what ground will they exclusively undergo a strange qualifying programme even after defeating their counterparts in a national moot-court competition?

From inception, all students from various universities attend classes and sit for examinations together without any discrimination.

NOUN is not a foreign university that undergoes Bar Part-1 which is purposely to remedy about six home-based courses that are not offered overseas but essential for practice in the country. NOUN offered all those courses as approved by National Universities Commission (NUC) like other home-based universities.

Again, the Bar Part-1 in the law school is a three-month programme with a tuition of N220,000. By the absurd plan, it means NOUN law graduates will even pay more as the strange classes will run a full year, and not three months. Note this is different from the compulsory Bar Part-2 for all students; foreign and home students with a tuition of N310,000 preceding call to bar.

The third issue is the strange ‘fail-once-and-quit’ proviso discriminatorily for NOUN law graduates. In other words, they will possibly be victimized through mischievous mass failure in the Bar Part-1 after spending that amount of money, and encumbered from qualifying for Bar Part-2 while their counterparts can rewrite failed modules in Bar-1 & 2 many times.

This is a pointer to a sinister motive to ground these citizens’ career as alternative option. Presidency should take note.

Of course, the authorities can review academic programme in the law school if needful; however, it must be applicable to all students.

It is imperative to reiterate that NOUN as a home-based university offered the same courses approved by the regulatory body; NUC like her counterparts in the country. Hence, there is no basis to subject them to undergo any strange programme.

  • Yakubu Abolaji Isowo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
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