Tinubu’s Coverage On 18-12 months-Previous Age Restrict For School Admission Belongs In The Stone Ages – Atiku Abubakar

Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denounced President Bola Tinubu’s coverage of pegging age limits for entry to tertiary establishments to 18 years, saying the coverage belongs within the “stone ages”.

On August 26, SaharaReporters reported that President Bola Tinubu’s administration mandated that solely people aged 18 and above might take the Nationwide Examination Council Nigeria (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

The Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman, who made announcement whereas that includes on Channels TV programme, had stated that WAEC, which conducts the West African Senior School Certificates Examination (WASSCE), and NECO, which manages the Senior School Certificates Examination (SSCE), had been instructed to stick to the 18-year age requirement for all examination candidates.

He highlighted that this was a reaffirmation of pre-existing rules reasonably than a brand new coverage.

The minister additionally famous that the age restrict for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), overseen by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), stays at 18 years.

He said, “It’s 18 years, throughout our assembly with JAMB in July, we agreed to permit this 12 months as a grace interval for folks. Which means that JAMB will admit college students beneath 18 years previous this 12 months, however beginning subsequent 12 months, the age requirement of 18 will probably be strictly enforced for college admissions in Nigeria.”

However reacting in a press release issued on Wednesday, Atiku, who was Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within the 2023 elections, described the coverage as an “absurdity and a disincentive” to scholarship.

Atiku stated that the coverage contradicts the notion of delineation of duties in a federal system of presidency as being practised in Nigeria, including the coverage signifies how President Tinubu’s authorities behaves like a misplaced “sailor” on a excessive sea.

He stated, “The coverage runs foul of the notion of delineation of duties in a federal system of presidency comparable to we’re practising, and provides a graphic impression of how the Tinubu authorities behaves like a misplaced sailor on a excessive sea. In any other case, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the subsequent logical step within the myriad of points besetting our instructional system?

“To be clear, the Nigerian structure places training within the concurrent checklist of schedules, wherein the sub-national authorities enjoys extra roles above the federal authorities.”

“Due to this fact, it’s extra-constitutional for the federal authorities to legislate on training in a way just like a decree.

“The most effective international customary for such regulation is to permit the sub-national governments to make respective legal guidelines or guidelines on training.”

He regretted that even whereas saying this “obnoxious coverage,” the federal government inadvertently stated it had no plan to cater for specifically gifted pupils, a growth he stated was discouraging.

“That assertion is a humiliation to the physique of intellectuals within the nation as a result of it portrays Nigeria as a rustic the place gifted college students are usually not appreciated.

“The irony right here is that ought to the federal authorities play any position in training, it’s to arrange mechanisms that can establish and grant scholarships to gifted college students not minding their ages earlier than making use of for admission into tertiary establishments.

“This controversial coverage belongs within the Stone Ages and must be roundly condemned by everybody who believes in mental freedom and accessibility.”