HOW TO RESOLVE NOUN CHALLENGES (FINAL) BY MARIAM OKUNU
For the first time after my graduation from the first of it's kind university,I feel the need to give you some insight into ways on how to resolve the numerous challenges confronting noun students. Some of those challenges include the following:
1.LAW SCHOOL
2.NYSC
3.LACK OF A FORMALLY ACCEPTED NATIONAL STUDENT UNION
4.HIGH SCHOOL FEE
5.ALUMNI SCAM
First, NOUN students/graduates must understand that we are the primary stake holder in the institution. They have more stake in this institution than every other stake holder.
Secondly,if NOUN graduates are being discriminated on the basis of law school,nysc or others, those that will be discriminated are not the management. Its you.
If NOUN law graduates are not allowed to go to Law school, that doesn’t affect the salary of the management, neither does it affect their pedigree in the society. The one that will be affected is no other than you.
So, if nothing is affecting the management as a result of NOUN discrimination, they can afford to sit down idle for the next 30years without resolving the problem. Therefore, the only who can take NOUN issue seriously is no other person, than you.
If you fail to do what must be done, it may never be done.
For this reason, the following steps is to be taken to resolve all the challenges once and for all.
STEP 1: We are meeting the President Elect to congratulate him on his victory aswell all urge him to pay more attention to our institution
STEP 2: We shall setup a committee comprising leaders from various study centres to list out all the issues of Open university and strategies on the best way to present our issues to the stake holders and general public.
STEP 3: We shall hold a press conference to present our case to the world. In that press conference, we shall present our position on the following issue:
•NYSC: We shall cite relevant section of the NYSC act to make a case for our participation in NYSC. Also, we shall appropriately condemn the insensitivity of the NOUN management towards the issue despite receiving huge amount of money for the purpose.
•LAW SCHOOL: We shall make a case for why we must participate in law school,just as it is obtainable in other countries, citing appropriate references across the world.
•STUDENT UNION: Also, through this struggle, we must end the efforts of NOUN management to deny students of their fundamental rights of freedom of association as guaranteed in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
•NATIONAL UNIVERSITY COMMISSION: Also, we shall question the integrity of NUC which accredited NOUN courses including Law, yet continue to watch helplessly as we are being denied participation in Law school and NYSC.
•ALUMNI: Here, we shall also discuss the scam called Alumni. There is nothing like Alumni in Open University, yet graduates continue to pay Alumni fee.
STEP 4: After our Press Conference, we shall follow up by visiting the following establishment to make our position.
•National University Commission
•DG- NYSC
•DG- Law School
•President- Nigerian Bar Association
•National Assembly (Both Senate and Federal House of Representative)
•National Human Rights Commission
•Minister for Education and Youths
•We shall also visit human rights lawyers like Femi Falana, Festus Keyamu and others.
STEP 5: The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) shall follow up our press conference. They shall also hold similar press conference to give us back up in our demands. They shall also visit the key institutions concerned to show their solidarity with us in our struggle.
We are sure that by the time we embark on this struggle, the entire nation would be aware of our issues and that would mount the necessary pressure on our management and the concerned agencies.
STEP 6: We shall always respond to any concern expressed through the media or others.

As from the day of our press conference, we would never keep silent until all issues are resolved.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATION
To accomplish the above, we need all the financial contribution we can get students. Although, we cannot arrive at the exact amount we need at the moment, but the amount we get, will determine the extent of our engagement with media and others.
HOW TO RAISE FUNDS
We are hoping to raise funds through the following sources:
1.CONTRIBUTION FROM WORKING CLASS STUDENTS
2.CONTRIBUTION FROM EACH STUDY CENTRES
3.SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM LAW DEPARTMENT
4.INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION FROM MEMBERS OF CONS AND OTHERS

1.CONTRIBUTION FROM WORKING CLASS STUDENTS
As we already know, there are two (2) categories of students in NOUN. The working class and the none-working class.
We are aware that the working class students wouldn’t be able to support us physically, but they can support us morally and financially. So, we hope that the working class students would be able to play their part in this struggle by giving us the financial backing we require.
2.CONTRIBUTION FROM STUDY CENTRES
We are hoping that each study centres would contribute the sum of Ten Thousand Naira Only (N10,000).
3.SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM LAW DEPARTMENT
We are hoping that the law department across the federation would be able to make some contribution to assist this struggle as they are the once who needed this efforts more.
4.INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION FROM MEMBERS OF CONS AND OTHERS
We are hoping that members of CONS and other online groups would also make their individual contribution to support this movement.
With this we should pass our message in a civil manner void of violence.Our effort are to compliment and seek clarification from our prestigious institution and stakeholders.