The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has described as false and misleading the purported news reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the admission of NOUN graduates into the Nigeria Law School and their mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to reports in the media, the President gave the directive during the 13th Convocation Ceremony of NOUN, which was held recently.
But the Director of Media and Publicity of NOUN, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, said in a statement on Friday in Abuja that there was no such directive in the President’s speech, which was delivered on the occasion.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has been drawn to some news reports regarding the remarks purportedly made by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, during the 13th Convocation Ceremony of our esteemed institution.
“The publications inaccurately reported that His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Visitor to NOUN, made directives regarding the admission of NOUN graduates into the Nigeria Law School and their mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
“We categorically state that these assertions are entirely false and do not reflect the content of the visitor’s speech or the proceedings of the convocation ceremony.
“Obviously, the news reports were based on a purported version of the speech that made its way into social media. It is instructive that the education correspondents who were duly accredited to cover the convocation ceremony and who were actually there did not report this gross aberration.
“The visitor’s full speech can be viewed on the NOUN’s verified social media handles, particularly YouTube and Facebook.
“In conclusion, we firmly affirm that the university is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all its engagements.
“As such, we urge members of the public and relevant stakeholders to rely solely on verified sources of information, particularly those directly affiliated with NOUN, to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation,” it stated.