Court orders uniform cut-off mark for all Unity Schools

December 18, 2014
By Innocent Anaba


LAGOS — A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an order mandating the Federal Government to apply a uniform cut-off mark to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government Colleges, also known as Unity Schools, irrespective of their states of origin.

Trial judge, Justice John Tsoho, in the landmark decision, declared as unconstitutional, the state-based admission inequality in Federal Government colleges.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, in the suit against the Federal Government and the Minister of Education, had challenged the prescribed different cut-off marks for different states, based on candidates’ gender and their states of origin, arguing that same violates the candidates’ fundamental rights to freedom from discrimination guaranteed by Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

He had argued that Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution prohibits administrative or executive actions by government that discriminate between Nigerians on grounds of ethnicity, gender, religion and place of origin.

He had asked the court to declare that the administrative act of the respondents, particularly the Minister of Education, which prescribes and applies different requirements including cut-off marks for candidates seeking admission into Federal Government colleges, based on gender, ethnicity, states of origin, etc., is discriminatory against applicant’s grandchildren and the group or class they represent, on grounds of ethnicity, states of origin, gender, etc. and therefore violates Section 42(1) of 1999 Constitution.

He also prayed for:

*An order directing the respondents, particularly Minister of Education to apply uniform admission requirements, especially cut-off marks to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government colleges, notwithstanding their gender, states of origin, ethnicity, etc.

*An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, particularly the Minister of Education, whether by itself, its agents, servants, privies or otherwise howsoever from further acts of discrimination in admission to Federal Government colleges.

Agbakoba in a 19-paragraph affidavit had averred that since the inception of the Unity Schools, the Federal Government had maintained great disparity in admission requirements for candidates wishing to be admitted into Federal Government colleges.

In particular, he had argued that the Federal Government prescribed different cut-off marks for different states, based on candidates’ gender and their states of origin.

After hearing arguments from counsel to parties, the court ordered that the Federal Government and Minister of Education should apply uniform cut-off mark to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government Colleges, irrespective of their states of origin.

Unity Schools: Agbakoba reiterates call for adherence to court order on uniform cut off marks

News Agency Of Nigeria
March 22, 2019 4:13 PM

As entrance examination into Unity Schools across Nigeria approaches, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has reiterated his call for a uniform cut off marks for all students.


Agbakoba spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, emphasised the need to eschew ethnicity and promote unity in the society.


NAN reports that Agbakoba had in a suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1358/2013, against the Attorney General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Education, had sought an order, restraining discrimination against students applying into unity schools, on account of their ethnicity or place of origin.

The Federal High Court had in a judgment delivered in 2014, ordered that uniform admission requirements, especially cut-off marks, be applied to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government Colleges.

Responding to questions on the impact of the court’s judgment to consequent admission process into government colleges, Agbakoba said:

“I am disappointed; If you recall, the judgment in Olisa Agbakoba v. A-G Federation & Ministry of Education FHC/L/CS/1358/2013, the Federal High Court Lagos Division, had restrained further discrimination against students applying into unity schools on account of their ethnicity, gender or place of origin.

“The Federal High Court’s judgment has established that the Federal Government policy which prescribes and applies different requirements including cut-off marks for candidates seeking admission into these Colleges, based on gender, ethnicity, or state of origin, is discriminatory and violates the Constitution.”

He, however, lamented that almost five years down the line, since the court’s judgment was delivered, its orders are yet to be complied with by the relevant stakeholders, regardless of whether an appeal subsist against same.

He said: “The full benefit of the judgment will come when it is obeyed.”

On whether the term “Unity Schools” have served its purpose of achieving integration among the diverse ethnic groups in society, Agbakoba said that the first set of unity schools in the country, had strive to achieve a measure of unity among the diverse ethnic groups.

He, however, noted with disappointment, that the infiltration of discrimination among Nigerians is now responsible for polarizing citizens along ethnic lines.

As entrance examinations into the federal colleges are billed to kick off in April, Agbakoba called for a holistic adherence to the decision of the lower court.

“The relevant authorities should obey the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, by applying uniform cut-off marks for all candidates seeking admission into unity schools, irrespective of gender, state of origin or ethnicity.

“The judgment of the Federal High Court is subsisting; the appeal by the Federal Ministry of Education does not prevent the Federal Government or the Unity Schools from obeying this Judgment,” he said.

News Agency Of Nigeria

cynthy2000:
Federal Government on Tuesday defended the controversial cut-off point released for admissions into the 104 Unity Colleges in the country.

The government said it was persuaded by the need to make quality education accessible to all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic and geographical locations.

Whereas a pupil from Anambra State, irrespective of gender, is expected to score at least 139 to gain admission into the schools, a male pupil from Yobe and a female from Zamfara is required to score only two.

It also showed discrimination between male and female students in some states.

While a male student from Yobe requires only two out of 300 possible scores to gain admission, a female requires 27 to gain admission into the same school. For Taraba, it is three for male and 11 for female. It is nine against 20 in favour of male in Kebbi State.

In an interview with our correspondent, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, who is the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of State at the education ministry, Nyesom Wike, said there was no ill motive behind the cut-off points as “the reason the schools were established in the first place was for unity”.

Our correspondent however learnt that the principles of Merit, Catchment Area, and Educationally Less Developed States was insisted on by the Federal Government to accommodate the educationally backward states in the North, especially those suffering from security challenges.

A source who spoke to our correspondent in confidence said, “Many schools don’t even have candidates at all. While there is over subscription for Kings College, Queens College, Federal Government College, Enugu and Port-Harcourt, there is no subscription for schools in Yobe, Sokoto Adamawa, Borno and others that do not even have security issues.”

http://campusportalng.com/education/o-level/federal-government-backs-disparity-in-unity-schools-cut-off-marks/3553/

ITbomb:
Our wonderful president does not understand court orders

blizard44:

This country is actually destined to fail.
E no get as you wan talk am again.

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You enter with 2.
Your counterpart enter with 139.


Few years down, you're admitted into the university with a recommendation letter and rankadede while your counterpart slug it out with over 200marks in JAMB.

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Before you even graduate, dem don hustle work wait for you. Work, that you can never get in two hundred years if merit is in the question.

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Your counterpart dey hustle for street.
From computer village to Alaba.
From Balogun to Toronto.

And you eventually get to head your country... And mismanage it the way your intelligence could only afford you to.

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Say na your own personal business.
Be sincere :
Can you allow it to be run like that?