The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill to increase the minimum education qualification to run for some offices in Nigeria.
The House, on Tuesday, deliberated on the bill sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga (APC, Ogun) and passed for second reading unanimously.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported the introduction of the Constitution alteration bill to the House.
The bill seeks to amend Sections 65, 106, 131 and 171 of the 1999 Constitution.
Leading the debate on the bill, Ms Onanuga said the school certificate is not sufficient to rule the country.
According to the lawmaker, “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?”
She added that even NYSC is not a requirement to run the country, but it is a qualification to contest the presidential, governorship, national assembly, and states assembly elections.
“We all know that after a university degree or its equivalent in this country, comes the compulsory National Youth Service Corp, without which it would be difficult to get into any employment especially within the Public Sector.
Credit: Premium Times