The following report is a part of the discussion of
the meeting between the leadership of National
Open University Students Association of Nigeria
(NOUSAN) and the School management on NYSC
issue, which was held at the NOUN Headquarters,
Victoria Island, Lagos, on the 22nd of September
2015.
Sequel to that meeting, we have made an earlier
report on the outcome of the meeting, as your
interest(our fellow students) is our paramount
concern and we promise to give you effective
representation and feedback. As promised, this
report will be focused on NYSC discussion
NOUSAN had with the school management. We
implore all students to read through this article
carefully and be guided.
Discussion:
At the meeting, we (NOUSAN) decided to ask,
based on the agitation of our students, why NOUN
students are not being shortlisted for the NYSC
program in Nigeria, as it amount to discrimination
and desolateness, since we form part of the
Nigerian students. The management explained that
the agitation of the students is a misconception of
the NYSC idea.
First, they said the law only permits organizations
to demand for NYSC certificate, it does not matter
which. The NYSC certificate is broken into 3;
1. Certificate of National Service.
2. Certificate of Exemption.
3. Certificate of Exclusion.
These NYSC certificates, backed by law, shall be
accepted by all organisations in Nigeria, and no
organisation will refuse any of the above
mentioned NYSC certificates.
In Open University, all graduating students are
issued a NYSC Certificate of Exemption, which is
equivalent to all NYSC certificates issued to
students in conventional universities. We told the
management, that despite the exemption certificate,
our students who merited the service based on
thier constitutional rights, as provided for by the
NYSC Act, which stipulates that students(below 30
years of age) in any institution of higher learning,
which NOUN is one, should be given the privilege
of the national service to their dear country by the
Nigeria Government, as it will promote oneness
and give NOUN students sense of belonging as
well.
Based on the above reasons given, the
management opinionated that our students are not
being shortlisted for the scheme at the moment
because; the NYSC program accommodates over
100,000 students from about 100 universities all
over Nigeria for service yearly. These students are
given infrastructureslike the orientation camps and
Corpers' lodges. National Open University alone
produces over 50,000 graduates yearly, due to it's
expanded and Open style of education. 50,000
students produced by only one university will
increase the number of students the NYSC program
can accommodate from 100,000 to 150,000, more
than half of it's current figure. There would be
need to expand the orientation camps and
orientation facilities, corpers' lodges, etc. All these
will cost a lot of planning, funding, and execution.
The Open University alone can produce more than
half of the number of graduates that 50 universities
combined, can produce in one academic year.
Since such is the case, then it would be necessary
to expand expand the current infrastructuresand
facilities, enhance adequate security of students,
provide for shelter/accommodation for the students
and majorly, the provision of consistent payment of
students allowances. It would be inappropriate for
NYSC to shortlist Open University students without
securing our lives, without providing shelter for our
students in extreme weather conditions in some
parts of the country, without making provising for
proper funds, so Open University corpers would
not be owed their allowances while they are
serving their country.
Therefore, the Federal Government, based on the
pressure from our school management, directed
the NYSC Director-General to issue all Open
University students NYSC Certificates, since it was
never the students fault for not being shortlisted
for the service. The management also added that
NOUN was not designed for Open University
students to serve initially, as the institution was
initially created for workers and aged class, but
due to the necessity to make education more
accessible to all, Open University then decided to
admit below the age limit and non-workers.
The Management, however assured that, the
Federal Government are working tirelessly to
expand facilities, re-organise and adequately
provide security, and to build adequate
infrastructures, to accommodate qualified Open
University students for the scheme on the long
run. It took years to build facilities to
accommodate the over 100,000 students of the
conventional universities being accommodated
currently by the NYSC, it will take some time to
provide for almost double that number.
On this note, we implore all our fellow students to
see reason with us and the school management,
as efforts are being made to see that all these
obstacles becomes history.
National Open University Students Association of
Nigeria(NOUSAN)has however resolved to petition
the Federal Government to mount more pressure
on the NYSC Commission, so as to speeden the
process of accommodating Open University
students for the One Year service program, up.
We appeal to all students to desist from any form
of violence and publications that may tarnish the
image of our school in the public eyes, while all
complaints should be forwarded through the
following NOUSAN leadership numbers for easy
resolve;
+2347033865731 , +2348064006872 ,
+2348091713658 , +2348033929097 .
NOUSAN wishes all the students best of luck in
their exams, and further appeals to all students to
study adequately, as we will back the management
in the war against all form of malpractices. Your
support and cooperation is what NOUSAN needs
for our students' pressing needs to be catered for.
Together we stand, divided we fall.
God bless NOUSAN!
God bless NOUN!!
God bless Nigerian Students!!!
God bless Nigeria!!!!
God bless us all!!!!!
