June 9,2022

Kemi Adeniyi (not real name), a student at the National Open University (NOUN), has narrated how students were denied the right to sit for their examination despite the numerous empty chairs in one of the service centres of the institution on Tuesday.

Adeniyi told FIJ that out of the different service centres of NOUN in Lagos, she was posted to Victoria Island to write her exams.

“We had a general paper which students from all levels would write. A lot of students came to write this exam. I got there around 9 am due to traffic. There’s the okada ban in Lagos and it has become very difficult to beat traffic. No matter when you leave the house, you will encounter traffic,” she said.

“When I got to the exam venue, I met a lot of people there. There was a security officer present, who we tried to explain what happened on the way to. He simply told us that we could not enter. Some students came with their own cars. A man who drove there had been stuck in traffic; he could not easily leave his car in the traffic just to get to school. They still told him that he could not write the exam. The officials refused to allow about 20 students to write their exams.”

Adeniyi said she was not allowed to sit for the exam despite all her efforts. Meanwhile, the exam was automated; it would only start after a student log in with their details.

Adeniyi said she was not allowed to sit for the exam despite all her efforts. Meanwhile, the exam was automated; it would only start after a student log in with their details.

“We had an hour and 30 minutes to write the exam. It does not matter whether you come late or not. Once you get in, you will sign in and that’s when your exam starts. I got to the venue by 8:30 am, so I was 30 minutes late. I met some people there and they were equally denied access to the exam hall. Someone got to the venue around 8:10, just 10 minutes after the exam time, but they did not allow her in,” she said.

The NOUN student said the director of the school came to the venue, adding that all the students begged her for pardon but they said no.

VIOLENT INCIDENT ON FRIDAY AT THE BRANCH

“There was an incident on Friday. A soldier, who is also a student at NOUN, came for a 2 pm exam around 3 pm and they did not allow him write his exam. He explained to them that he was on duty and could not leave his duty post. He pleaded with them, but they refused him,” said Adeniyi.

“They told him that no excuse was acceptable. He went back to the barracks and probably explained what happened there. The men from the barracks came and a fight ensued. It became a violent matter.”

The student told FIJ that failing to write the exam means that she would repay to register the course.

“Another problem is the partial treatment of students. While most of these students were denied entrance into the exam venue, a few students were favoured and allowed to go inside. It seemed to us that those who could pay the officials or bribe them were allowed to go inside. So anyone who does not have money cannot find a way out of that situation,” Adeniyi said.

“This okada ban makes so many things difficult. We can be stuck in traffic for 4 hours in a trip that a bike would take us within 30 minutes.”

VIOLENCE LED TO A BROKEN LEG

“It was this corruption that led to soldiers beating them up on Friday. Those soldiers beat up the NOUN officials and one of them had a broken leg,” said Adeniyi.

“This should make the news, but the school is trying to cover this whole fiasco up. I am just wondering that if this is happening in the headquarters in Victoria Island, what would the other centres be like?”

Adeniyi said if she was willing to bribe the official, she would have been allowed to sit for the exam.

“Just imagine the staff favouring some people to go inside and preventing others because of some type of ‘settlement’. It is unethical and unacceptable,” she said.

When FIJ contacted the centre, Professor Rotimi Ogidan, a worker, said no students are allowed to write exams if they come 10 minutes after the commencement.

”There are rules that we follow. You can come to the office so that we can talk more about this and also help us identify the students who spoke to you,” he said.

Adeniyi said she was not allowed to sit for the exam despite all her efforts. Meanwhile, the exam was automated; it would only start after a student log in with their details.

“We had an hour and 30 minutes to write the exam. It does not matter whether you come late or not. Once you get in, you will sign in and that’s when your exam starts. I got to the venue by 8:30 am, so I was 30 minutes late. I met some people there and they were equally denied access to the exam hall. Someone got to the venue around 8:10, just 10 minutes after the exam time, but they did not allow her in,” she said.

The NOUN student said the director of the school came to the venue, adding that all the students begged her for pardon but they said no.

VIOLENT INCIDENT ON FRIDAY AT THE BRANCH

“There was an incident on Friday. A soldier, who is also a student at NOUN, came for a 2 pm exam around 3 pm and they did not allow him write his exam. He explained to them that he was on duty and could not leave his duty post. He pleaded with them, but they refused him,” said Adeniyi.

“They told him that no excuse was acceptable. He went back to the barracks and probably explained what happened there. The men from the barracks came and a fight ensued. It became a violent matter.”

The student told FIJ that failing to write the exam means that she would repay to register the course.

“Another problem is the partial treatment of students. While most of these students were denied entrance into the exam venue, a few students were favoured and allowed to go inside. It seemed to us that those who could pay the officials or bribe them were allowed to go inside. So anyone who does not have money cannot find a way out of that situation,” Adeniyi said.

“This okada ban makes so many things difficult. We can be stuck in traffic for 4 hours in a trip that a bike would take us within 30 minutes.”

VIOLENCE LED TO A BROKEN LEG

“It was this corruption that led to soldiers beating them up on Friday. Those soldiers beat up the NOUN officials and one of them had a broken leg,” said Adeniyi.

“This should make the news, but the school is trying to cover this whole fiasco up. I am just wondering that if this is happening in the headquarters in Victoria Island, what would the other centres be like?”

Adeniyi said if she was willing to bribe the official, she would have been allowed to sit for the exam.

“Just imagine the staff favouring some people to go inside and preventing others because of some type of ‘settlement’. It is unethical and unacceptable,” she said.

When FIJ contacted the centre, Professor Rotimi Ogidan, a worker, said no students are allowed to write exams if they come 10 minutes after the commencement.

”There are rules that we follow. You can come to the office so that we can talk more about this and also help us identify the students who spoke to you,” he said.