By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives has commenced investigation into the regulatory issues surrounding the inability of some law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.
The development followed a petition by affected graduates who appeared before the House Committee on Public Petitions, alleging that their names were rejected for mobilisation to the Nigerian Law School despite completing their university education.
The committee, during the hearing, directed NOUN to submit the list of students who were already enrolled in its law programme when the Council for Legal Education (CLE) directed the institution to stop fresh admissions into the programme.
A representative of the university, Professor Shio Usman Ademo, told the lawmakers that NOUN had the list of affected students and was ready to submit it for the committee’s consideration.
“Yes, I have the CD here, with the list,” Ademo told the committee after being asked whether the university had the names of the students affected by the regulatory directive.
The committee subsequently directed him to submit the list in soft copy as part of efforts to establish the number of students potentially affected by the mobilisation dispute.
The investigation followed a petition presented by a representative of the affected graduates, Dr Adeniyi O. Oladele, who told the committee that the graduates had completed their law programme but were unable to secure mobilisation to the Nigerian Law School.
Oladele said the graduates approached the university after completing their studies but were informed that the list containing their names had been rejected.
He said repeated efforts to obtain clarification on the circumstances surrounding the rejection had not produced a resolution, leaving the affected graduates uncertain about their professional future.
The petitioners further argued that NOUN law graduates had previously been admitted to the Nigerian Law School, completed the required professional training and were subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar.
Responding to the petition, Ademo confirmed that the university had received the complaint and submitted its response to the issues raised.
He told the committee that on November 5, 2019, NOUN received a letter from the CLE permitting 1,888 students of the institution to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.
According to him, the CLE later directed the university to stop admitting new students into its law programme pending the resolution of regulatory issues.
“The university agreed and stopped admitting new law students. However, even if we do not admit new ones, Mr Chairman, we still have students in the pipeline,” he said.
The committee subsequently questioned the university representative on the number of students who were already enrolled and actively pursuing the law programme when the directive was issued.
Ademo said more than 5,000 law students were active at the time, while the university had more than 500,000 students across its various programmes.
The lawmakers also sought clarification on the academic performance of NOUN law students who had previously gained admission to the Nigerian Law School.
Ademo said NOUN students had participated in Nigerian Law School examinations, adding that some performed successfully and were eventually called to the Nigerian Bar.
He also explained that NOUN’s law programme had a minimum duration of five years, although its open and distance-learning structure allowed students to defer their studies and subsequently return to complete their programmes.
The hearing also considered the case of a NOUN law student who travelled to Canada and secured admission into a Canadian law school, with Ademo indicating that the CLE later raised concerns regarding the student’s status.
The committee’s decision to demand the list of affected students is expected to provide further information on the number of graduates involved and help the lawmakers establish the circumstances surrounding their inability to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.
The petitioners have urged the House to investigate the matter and facilitate a resolution that would enable eligible graduates to continue with the professional training required for admission to the Nigerian Bar.
