Thank God ooo! I can't believe this is happening in my lifetime

In Landmark Ruling, Court Orders Uniform Cut-off Marks for Admission into Unity Schools

By Davidson Iriekpen

In a landmark ruling certain to challenge the viability of the decades-long the quota system in the country, a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday declared as unconstitutional the state-based admission inequality into federal government colleges, also known as unity schools.

The declaration was made in a ruling delivered by Justice John Tsoho in a suit FHC/L/CS/1358/2013 filed by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) against the government and the Minister of Education.

In the suit, which was meant to challenge the admission disparity into federal government colleges, the court declared that the application of different cut-off marks based on states of origin and gender violates the candidates’ fundamental rights to freedom from discrimination guaranteed by Section 42(1) of 1999 Constitution.

It ordered that the federal government and Minister of Education who were the first and second respondents respectively in the suit to apply uniform cut-off marks to all candidates seeking admission into federal government colleges, irrespective of their states of origin.

The case is based on Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits administrative or executive actions by government that discriminates between Nigerians on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, religion and place of origin.
The originating application filed on September 30, 2013, prayed for the following orders:
A declaration that the administrative acts of the respondents, particularly the second respondent which prescribes and applies different requirements including cut-off marks for candidates seeking admission into federal government colleges, based on gender, ethnicity, states of origin, etc, is discriminatory against applicant’s grandchildren and the group or class they represent, on the grounds of ethnicity, states of origin, gender, etc, and therefore violates Section 42(1) of 1999 Constitution.

An order directing the respondents, particularly the second respondent, to apply uniform admission requirements, especially cut-off marks to all candidates seeking admission into federal government colleges, notwithstanding their gender, states of origin, ethnicity, etc.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, particularly the second respondent, whether by itself, its agents, servants, privies or otherwise howsoever from further acts of discrimination in admission into federal government colleges.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/in-landmark-ruling-court-orders-uniform-cut-off-marks-for-admission-into-unity-schools/197040/