The law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) have demanded for compensatory quota for admission to the Nigerian Law School.
This was contained in a statement signed by Carl Umegboro, Chairman and Ado Garba, Asst. Secretary, NOUN Law Graduates Forum in Abuja.
The group said this had become necessary in order to address the backlog of graduates delayed from proceeding to Law School since 2014.
It said this was due to the controversial clause in the Act establishing the university.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Dec. 7 assented to the NOUN Amendment Act, which allows the University to operate as all other universities with same power, functions and administrative structures.
The amendment also resolved the protracted crisis which had hindered the law graduates of NOUN from proceeding to the Nigerian Law School accordingly for five years and also remedied the exclusion of graduates from participating in the NYSC scheme.
The group also appealed to the authorities for a substitution of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) letters issued to graduates of NOUN since 2013.
The group said the letter categorised the graduates with ‘Open and Distance Learning’ mode and consequently, excluded them from participating in the NYSC scheme, irrespective of age of the students.
“Following the categorisation, the graduates have been facing extreme discrimination in the labour market, as most employers rebuff their applications over the clause in the NYSC letter.
”“However, these categories of graduate, Open and Distance Learning have been excluded from participating in the NYSC by the Federal Government with effect from 2001”.”
“We believe that considering the above issues will bring to perfection the good job by the National Assembly and finally, President Muhammadu Buhari by his assent to NOUN Amendment Act.
“So as to absolve as many as possible to remedy the backlogs for law school admission and the students’ discrimination generally.
”We have unalloyed confidence that Mr. President will always give priority to issues that will improve the welfare of the vulnerable masses, as he evidently committed to since 2015,” it said. (NAN)
