An Open Letter To NOUN Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu

Angel Mark

It is no longer news that you have replaced our beloved Vice Chancellor, Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe. Inasmuch as we will miss him so much, we want to welcome you with the same love and admiration we had for him, hoping that as you faithfully discharge your duties, we will not want to miss you too. The constancy of change will not allow us express our feelings with respect to the exit of Professor Vincent Tenebe, however, this is because we are consoled that someone has come to take over the baton of leadership and move NOUN to greater heights. Welcome on board, sir.

We do not know all the luxuries and aura that accompany your current position, (this shouldn’t bother us), and your beautiful picture displayed on the website appears to give us some hope, but this medium is sufficient to humbly inform you that your efficiency as the administrative head of NOUN is enough to make the institution occupy its rightful position in Nigeria. However, as you resume, sir, it is pertinent to let you know that despite the great achievements of NOUN, numerous challenges abound and these are some of the issues we will really like you to look in to through your good offices.

First and foremost, it is not overstatement to say that students of NOUN are respectful, understandable and cooperative. They are ready to work, as long as there is work to be done. Amongst these students are the rich who pay their fees conveniently and promptly, as well as those who struggle to pay in numerous installments the same fees and levies. It is our humble plea sir, that you always put the latter category of students into considerations while embarking on your good policies especially ensuring that fees and levies are affordable.

Secondly, there are many students who have the potential to come out with first class results but these same calibers of students are impeded by the administration itself. The electronic system of computation of tests and results in NOUN gives students some sort of consolation about their results, knowing that no person can or would want to influence anyone’s grades.

This assurance was however lost when some students could not find their results on their portals while some could only find result of one or two courses, as very few people boasted of finding more. This irregularity however caused some pains in the hearts of affected students because of the stress they must have undergone while trying to get this far. In the same vein, this affects the results of all students, brilliant and otherwise, alike.

No doubt, we understand that things do get missing ubiquitously, however, it our wish that good preventive measures are decisively put in place  knowing that a lot of students are paying these fees through their noses, take time to leave their offices to write examinations, above all, desperately in need of the results to improve their living standards. 

How these examination results, which were instantaneously seen by those who participated in electronic exams, got missing is still a mystery to the affected students.  Indeed, to re-sit for examinations all over and not by students’ defaults cannot be justified in anyway. Please, look into this matter.

Thirdly, students pay for course materials but don’t always get all of these materials. After transporting ourselves to our study centres, we receive about one-third of it upon every visit, and sometimes, nothing. Despite all these, students are expected to study hard and come out in flying colours.

Incontrovertibly, the joy of every Nigerian student is to serve their fatherland in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) yearly service in line with the scheme. This joy is however almost absent in the lives of NOUN students as this provision is yet to become a reality for NOUN students. We have had lots of promises; wonderful explanations.

Nevertheless, the delay in getting the promises fulfilled constitutes threats to our livelihood as not participating in the NYSC scheme creates unnecessary bottlenecks to NOUN graduates in the labour market. There should be no discrimination between the students of NOUN and the students of other universities because NOUN is an accredited federal university duly recognized by the regulatory body.

In the same vein, sir, the law graduates that passed out since 2014 have not been admitted to the Nigeria Law School in pursuit of vocational training for enrolment to the Nigerian bar. This constraint is critically incomprehensible. We understand that so much has been done about this during the tenure of our former Vice Chancellor, however, nearly they say, cannot kill a bird. Please sir, do help us crown the efforts of these graduates with the reward of being referred to as “barristers” in the spirit of equity and justice in no distant time.

Another point that cannot be overemphasized is the rampant postponements of examinations without notice to the students. Severally, after preparing so hard to write examinations, while on queue for entry into the examination halls, students would be suddenly informed that their examinations have been postponed. As a renowned scholar, we believe you could imagine the height of confusion this singular act could bring to the 

students.

Finally, it won’t hurt to have scholarship scheme for the institution. This will go a long way in encouraging students to be truly studious whilst achieving the aims of the motto; work and learn. In the light of these, it is our sincere prayer that God will strengthen you as you serve the institution meritoriously with wonderful innovations to take the institution to a new level.

Thank you and God bless.

Long live NOUN!

Long live Nigeria!

Angela Mark

School of Arts and Social Sciences

Abuja S/Centre.