The Open University should not pursue its unaccredited law programme

The advertisement by the Council of Legal Education that the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is running a law programme despite a clear warning against that is disturbing. This is because the council is statutorily empowered to regulate legal education in the country. Indeed, without an approval from it, any law programme that any institution offers in the country, amounts to a waste of human and material resources. This is evidently so, as such “law graduates” would not be allowed access to the Nigeria Law School. So, if NOUN fails to stop the law programme immediately, the law enforcement agencies should stop it, and prosecute those responsible.

We are curious that NOUN would engage in what is clearly a rip-off of those who engage in their law programmes across their various study centres. From some media reports, it is obvious that many of their students are not aware of this limitation to the “law degree” obtained from the university. We recall the excitement shown by some of their “law graduates” expressing gratitude to God for the opportunity granted them to study law at their advanced ages. One of such persons from NOUN, Akure centre, a 69-year-old woman, was full of thanksgiving, and expressed hope that she would use her new talent to help widows and other less privileged persons in her community.

Her seminal boast, envisaged an access to the Nigeria Law School, which would enable her practise as a barrister. Another, a 60-year-old woman who graduated from the Benin Study Centre, was excited that she had been able to join her other family members in the legal profession, and again was hopeful that after attending the law school, she would devote her skills to help the less privileged in the society. Considering that she and her other colleagues would not be admitted to the Nigeria Law School, her hopes will remain a mirage, unless the Council of Legal Education retroactively approves their training at NOUN.



This infraction by NOUN is a common experience across the country. Not long ago, the federal authorities were up in arms against criminal elements who offered non-existent university programmes to Nigerian youths. Those dubious elements even ran programmes in decrepit environments, and all the while, were fleecing their victims and their sponsors of several thousands of Naira in the name of fees. As was the case of the NOUN victims, many of them thought they were in approved institutions, and had wasted a number of years in the so- called faculties of higher learning.

These shady characters sometimes appear to have the latent support of regulatory organs of government, as they parade provisional approval of programmes to start the fraud. Whatever may be the enablers, we urge that it is bad enough that opportunities for higher education are abysmally limited; but it would be disheartening and scandalous that valuable years and resources are wasted pursuing a non-existent programme in a higher institution. It becomes totally unacceptable and an institutional crime, when otherwise accredited institutions also run un-accredited courses side by side the approved ones.

While calling on NOUN to stop the law programme, we urge students to also help themselves. As part of the pursuit of academic glory, a potential student owes it a duty to himself/herself to be sure, that the programmes they want to apply for, are among those approved. It is embarrassing that a budding graduate would have failed a basic enquiry, concerning the programme or the institution he/she intends to apply to. We urge all concerned to stop NOUN’s law programme and similar frauds, to save Nigerians a national embarrassment.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/nouns-illegality/

This is one narrow side of the argument. Another side is that the NOUN Law programme is approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), a Federal Government agency which accredits all university courses. You can also prevail on Council of Legal Education, also a government agency, to work out a solution with NUC which approved the NOUN Law programme. Why place all the blame on the students who had reason to believe that the issues would be resolved? I’m surprised The Nation does not see anything wrong with two government agencies working at cross-purposes and undermining each other. CLE is not independent of government. If you want the law programme ended, then all monies paid by students for the programme must be refunded. There must a remedy. Please be fair. You could have proposed a mid-way solution where NOUN Law graduates are made to join regular universities at 400 or 500-Level so as to be allowed to attend Law School. I expected better from The Nation who rather think NUC/CLE/Fed. Govt deserve no blame at all.