Abuja – Prof. Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) says the commission is working with stakeholders to resolve the standoff on admission of graduates of the National Open University (NOUN) into Law School.
Okojie, who made this known at a capacity building workshop for education correspondents yesterday in Abuja, said NUC was addressing the issue with the Council for Legal Education (CLE).
CLE has insisted that Law graduates of NOUN will not be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
Okojie said that the Law programme of NOUN was approved by NUC but CLE adjudged it a part time programme which was the reason it rejected it.
“This matter is being addressed because it is between us, CLE and the university.
“What we have done in the interim is stop new intake into that programme so that they do not have a backlog; we are addressing the issue.
“I must say that the Law programme in National Open University (NOUN) was approved by the NUC; we do not get permission from anybody to approve any programme; it’s our responsibility.
“When the Council for Legal Education came up with the idea of no part time Law, NOUN did not consider Law a part time programme by their mode; so they did not stop the programme.’’
The NUC boss explained that in the first letter that followed the licence of a private university, the commission gives it the take off programmes.
According to him, three years down the line, NUC goes for accreditation and verification before such a school can take new programmes.
On the sixth National Research and Development Fair, Okojie said it was to be organised in partnership with the University of Uyo (UniUyo) but was put on hold due to logistics issues.
“We set up a committee which was to liaise with the University of UniUyo but we could not get anything out of it because we had some distractions.
“It is still on the front burner; we have not abandoned it nor have we shifted the base.’’
He urged specialised universities to stick to their mandate in order to produce the much needed skilled manpower for the nation.
Okojie, however, cautioned journalists against sensationalising stories, adding that they should verify with commission before publishing stories.
The guest lecturer, Mr Bayo Atoyebi, who spoke on the topic “Journalism, Ethics, Professionalism and Beat Reportage,’’ urged reporters to abide by the tenets of their profession in the discharge of their duties which is a constitutional responsibility.
Atoyebi, who was a former Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council, said the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)’s Code of Ethics as ratified at the Ilorin Congress in 1998, was still in force.
He listed the ideals of the code as editorial independence, accuracy and fairness, privacy, privilege/non-disclosure, decency, public interest, social responsibility, among others.
“Beat performance ought to be rated not just by quantity but the quality of contributions in strict cognizance of accuracy, fairness, balance and human interests stories for variety.
“The reporter is the middleman in the triangle of trust between his editor, his source and his audience; he is their eyes and ears.
“He should cultivate contacts, acquire background and long term expertise to become an authority.’’
Atoyebi said it was the duty of NUJ to negotiate with publishers on what should be the remuneration of journalists, while urging journalists to quit if they did not get salaries.
Prof. Julius Okojie
