FG and future of NOUN law graduates

The imbroglio between the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) over admission into the Nigerian Law School is resolvable. Taking a realistic and holistic look at the issues, the quagmire which has lingered for five years since the first set graduated is yet to be resolved.

Regrettably, innocent law graduates became the proverbial helpless grass that suffers the fight of the elephants. By their establishments, NOUN and National Universities Commission (NUC) operate under the Ministry of Education while the Nigerian Law School, under the Council of Legal Education is supervised by the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation; thus two different ministries are involved.

The two ministers have significant roles to play in the resolution of the conflict as their continual disagreement will keep the students roaming the streets. These two ministers should harmonise their differences without further delay. Possibly, President Muhammadu Buhari should summon them for amicable resolution of the crisis pursuant to national security and interests. Interestingly, this is an era the polity is overheated over national security.

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Irrefutably, NOUN law graduates crisis aptly falls under matters that deserve doctrine of necessity and national security as keeping grown persons to be wandering the streets without vocational training for their practice and engagement is highly prejudiced and dangerous. No doubt, the predicament commenced during the previous administration but in line with change mantra, the crisis deserves a state of emergency as unrelenting neglect is precarious.

By the accreditation of the programme by NUC, obligations accrued to the parties to do the needful. The students fulfilled their part by completing their courses and acquired certificates as approved by the relevant bodies.

The Federal Government should stop pretending as if it is not aware of the predicament of the students. President Buhari owes these students an obligation even though inherited. Government is a continuum. It is absurd to abandon innocent and brilliant citizens with certificates to be roaming the streets for no justifiable reasons.

At most, if the accreditation appears questionable or flawed, the appropriate thing should be to withdraw the accreditation as NUC did to University of Abuja and recently, Obafemi Awolowo University. The powers vested in the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation to give directions to the Council of Legal Education should be effectively utilised forthwith. Enough of empty promises and tactics as destinies are being shattered. If the numerous prominent legal icons that embrace ODL (Open Distance Learning) were frustrated during their time, the nation would have lost all their contributions to the legal profession and society at large so far.

President Buhari has the brightest chance of redeeming this situation and write his name in gold. These law graduates should not continue in dirges while the government is chorusing national security and interests everywhere. Their continued denial of admission quota into the Nigerian Law School is the height of wickedness. It is imperative to recall that admission into the law school doesn’t guarantee successful exit. If there is nothing hidden       , let these law graduates be admitted into the law school like their counterparts from other universities.

Onyema Sylvester

Ikechukwu,

Lagos