The National Association of University Students (NAUS) has called for the immediate implementation of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN Amendment Act recently passed into law.
The Student body in a statement issued on Saturday, 22nd February 2020 by Comrade Fakuade Babatunde, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Deputy National Secretary General and jointly signed by Comrade Moses Tonueyi, SSA Campus Interventions 1 to Deputy National Secretary General and
Comrade Adewoyin Tijani Deputy National Secretary General said that the attention of the leadership of its union as the body governing all Nigeria University Students home and abroad has been drawn to the non implementation of the NOUN amendment Bill and passing into law that allows NOUN graduates to participate in scheme NYSC and Law School signed by the President since 4th December 2018.
The student body expressed displeasure in the delay in the implementation of the law adding that it is the highest decision making body for students studying in institution of higher learning from the University cadre with over twenty (20) Million members both in Nigeria and in diaspora, fully committed to the mainstream of Students and young leaders in governance at all levels.
The student body appreciates the historic passage of the amendment as the first in the history of the institution since its establishment in 1982 and the fact that the amendment expunged the bottlenecks hindering the recognition of the university as a full time, Open Distance learning in Nigeria.
It also appreciates that the amendment which also included the incorporation of technology in the mode of learning as an ODL while also reminding the Federal Government of Nigeria and concerned body that nothing has been done so far to implement the law.
Also the statement stressed that The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is a pioneer Federal University and Distance Learning Institution accredited by NUC and as the first of its kind in West Africa sub-region and also the largest tertiary institution in Nigeria in terms of its population.
“It is worthy of note that students comply to all rules and regulations, mapped out by the school management and also comply to all terms and conditions as directed by NUC which in actual fact all rights as an approved tertiary institutions are being denied.
It further stated: “graduates from other Open Distance Learning institutions globally enjoy all privileges and are treated as other conventional universities while some graduates of NOUN are denied employment due to lack of NYSC discharge certificate and the law students of the institution deprive the privilege of enrolling in Law School.
“We plead that the Federal Government makes appropriate budgetary provision for prompt implementation into the NYSC scheme and also implement the Law School bill respectively believing
We hope and believe this issues are treated with utmost interest of the student.
