By Felix Khanoba
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has described untrue reports making the rounds in sections of the media on a purported directive by President Bola Tinubu on the inclusion of its graduates in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The AUTHORITY reports that Tinubu, who is the visitor to the university, was said to have also directed the admission of NOUN law graduates into the Nigerian Law School while delivering a remark during the institution’s recent convocation.
But a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of NOUN, Ibrahim Sheme, on Friday dismissed the news reports as far from the truth.
The statement titled ‘Re: President Tinubu Directs Inclusion of National Open University Graduates in NYSC Scheme’, reads in full, “The attention of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has been drawn to some news reports regarding the remarks purportedly made by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, during the 13th Convocation Ceremony of our esteemed institution.
The publications inaccurately reported that His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who is the Visitor to NOUN, made directives regarding the admission of NOUN graduates into the Nigeria Law School and their mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
We categorically state that these assertions are entirely false and do not reflect the content of the Visitor’s speech nor the proceedings of the Convocation Ceremony.
Obviously, the news reports were based on a purported version of the speech that made its way into the social media. It is instructive that the Education Correspondents who were duly accredited to cover the Convocation Ceremony, and who were actually there, did not report this gross aberration.
The Visitor’s full speech can be viewed on the NOUN’s verified social media handles, particularly YouTube and Facebook.
In conclusion, we firmly affirm that the University is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all its engagements. As such, we urge members of the public and relevant stakeholders to rely solely on verified sources of information, particularly those directly affiliated with NOUN, to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation.”
