By Sandra Michaels
THE House of Representatives has waded into the prolonged impasse surrounding the non-admission of Law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) into the Nigerian Law School.
The intervention followed a petition submitted by over 5,000 affected graduates who lamented being left stranded after successfully completing their Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programmes, while their peers from conventional universities have since proceeded to Bar training.
The petition was submitted on behalf of the group, known as the Backlog of Law Graduates of NOUN, led by its President, Dr Adeniyi Oladele.
In an earlier submission, the management of NOUN explained that following a National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation visit in 2015, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) rejected its Law graduates, prompting the university to suspend fresh admissions into the LL.B programme that same year.
Reacting to the standoff, the Public Relations Officer of the affected graduates, Chibueze Obochi, stated that the students should not be made victims of an inter-agency rivalry between NOUN and the Council of Legal Education.
Citing Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees equal educational opportunities, Obochi argued that students admitted before the 2015 suspension—who possess valid matriculation numbers—deserve admission into the Law School, similar to their seniors who benefited from a Special Remedial Programme approved by the Body of Benchers in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Representative Akin Rotimi, who laid the petition before the House on July 21, assured the aggrieved graduates of the parliament’s commitment to achieving a fair and lasting resolution.
The House Committee is expected to fix a new date for both NOUN management and the Council of Legal Education to appear before it to address the grievances of the over 5,000 affected graduates awaiting entry into the Nigerian Law School.
