By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The current bill in the National Assembly requiring the possession of a university degree to run for the presidency or governorship is triggering a war of concern among citizens.

Nigerians are sharply divided on whether their president or governors require a university degree (or its equivalent) to perform creditably in the onerous task of managing the country.

The consideration of the House of Representatives marks a departure from earlier demands by some in the legislative chamber that the bar should be begged at ‘higher degrees’, and others, on Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.

Last week, the lower chamber of the National Assembly approved, at the second reading of a bill, to raise the academic qualification for the president, governors, and other elective public offices to a university degree or its equivalent.

The bill is sponsored by the lawmaker representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun State, Adewunmi Onanuga. It specifically seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution and raise the qualification from school certificate to degree or its equivalent.

The draft legislation passed at its first reading last Tuesday is entitled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Cap. C23 Laws of the Federation 2004, to Review the Required Educational Qualification for Election into Certain Political Offices; and for Related Matters.’

In its explanatory legislative memorandum, it reads, ‘This bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Cap. C23 Laws of the Federation 2004, to review the required educational qualification for election into certain political offices.’

The bill also seeks to specifically alter Sections 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the Constitution.

Debating the bill, Onanuga stated her belief that the proposal, if it becomes law, would “among other things, place more value on education in our nation and its importance when considering politics.”

She added, “This is not a bill targeted at stifling the interest of Nigerians in politics, rather it is a bill that will help Nigerians to sufficiently prepare for the humongous task of political leadership.”

The lawmaker further argued, “As we have begun to see, the race for elective offices at the state and national levels has become increasingly competitive. While this is good as a tenet of universal suffrage, it can also be counterproductive if people who are not sufficiently prepared educationally get into these elective offices.

“All the political offices affected by this amendment are very strategic in their own right. The state legislators are important for making laws to govern the state in the interest of the people. The office of the governor is the highest political office in the state. The federal legislators are important for making laws in the interest of the nation. The office of the president is the highest political office in the land.

“If a managing director who holds an equally strategic position in a company within this country cannot be employed without a university degree or its equivalent, why should the above political offices be held by people without a university degree or its equivalent?”

Onanuga added, “We all know that after a university degree or its equivalent in this country, comes the compulsory National Youth Service Corps, without which it would be difficult to get into any employment especially within the public sector.

“Invariably, by leaving the qualification of these political offices to remain at School Certificate level, we are implying that the NYSC is not a requirement to hold political offices, but it is a requirement to secure a job in the Public Sector.

She added, “This bill will reflect the premium this 9th Assembly places on the quality of education that interests our youths vis-à-vis their desired political ambitions, and it will, in turn, affect the quality of candidates who run for elective offices in this country.

“Otherwise, how do we place value on education if I say to my son who wants to be a doctor that he needs a university degree or its equivalent to achieve his dream, and then say to my daughter who wants to be president someday that she only needs to have a School Certificate?”

The sponsor further pressed that studying up to a university degree anywhere in the world would have afforded any individual certain other knowledge, skills, and preparedness that cannot be gotten at a school certificate level.

“This is not saying that only those with a university degree can lead well; all we will be saying is that we will rather start from there. And I believe we can all agree that a university degree is a good place to benchmark the educational qualification into certain political offices. To agree otherwise will in the long run do our polity and youths a great disservice.

“The bill, therefore, proposes to review upward to a minimum of a university degree, the required educational qualification of some elective offices within the country,” she noted.

Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the session, had remarked, before Onanuga’s presentation: “Members will like to hear what you are proposing in the amendment. It is very sensitive; I believe so.”

After Onanuga made her presentation, the deputy speaker noted that the intent of the bill was clear, and he put its passage for a second reading to a voice vote and it was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.

Concordance

A similar, but somewhat muted scenario, is playing out at the Upper Chamber of the federal legislature.

Following an earlier harmony of the status of HND and degree certificates, the Senate also wants the HND as the minimum qualification for the president, governors. A bill to that effect also passed the second reading last week.

However, the bill was more categorical, as it seeks to make the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) the minimum qualification for contesting for state and federal legislative seats.

Sponsored by Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau), the bill, one of the ten constitutional amendment bills read for the second time on Thursday, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative work.

The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for the amendment of Sections 65 (2) (a), 131 (d), Section 106 (c), and Section 177 (d) on minimum educational qualification for those seeking election as state or federal lawmakers, as well as governors, president, and their deputies.

In the proposed amendments, those seeking to be president, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and members of State Houses of Assembly, must possess ‘new’ minimum educational qualifications.

“The Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (in this Bill referred to as “the Principal Act”) is altered as set out in the Bill,” part of the proposed amendments reads.

The bill says it is out to change an existing law which seeks to amend thus: “A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if he has been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.

Section 65 (2) (a) is now rephrased to read “if he has been educated to at least National Diploma level or its equivalent.”

The bill also seeks to alter Section 131(d) which states that a presidential candidate and the deputy must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

Meanwhile, the amendment has been rephrased to now read: “He has been educated up to at least HND level or its equivalent.”

For the House of Assembly, the bill seeks the alteration of section 106 (c) of the Constitution.

The existing law recommends that anyone aspiring to be a member of the House of Assembly must have “been educated up to at least the School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

It is, however, now rephrased to read: “If he has been educated up to National Diploma level or its equivalent.”

Requirements for governorship candidates have also been amended. The bill seeks the alteration of Section 177 (d) of the constitution, which currently states that the person must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

It is now rephrased to read: “If he has been educated up to at least Higher National Diploma Level or its equivalent.

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‘Expert’ arguments

Asking the basic question: “What is the educational qualification for the office of the President of Nigeria?” they note that Section 130 of the Nigerian Constitution provides for the office of the President of the Nigerian federation, “But is there any objective educational qualification a person to that hallowed office needs to possess before aspiring to the office?”

Their answer is interesting: A veteran military lawyer, Col. B.V Okorie (retd.) argued, in a book, that “without mincing words, the answer is NO.” He says, “Read in totality, there is no unprejudiced or unbiased educational requirement for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”