by Alexander O. Onukwue

The Not Too Young To Run bill has barely passed as an amendment of the Constitution but it may already require another bill to support it so it does not turn out to be a harm to itself.

In the campaigns for the passage of the bill in the National Assembly, there was not conscious mention of the fact that the persons who are expected to benefit from the age reductions are not only young, but also well-educated persons. This should seem normal given the unfavorable reactions of most persons on the issue of President Buhari’s certificate, and the class of qualification obtained by Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi State.

The Constitution still stipulates that the minimum required qualification for running for public office is secondary education and given how much one can gain from secondary education if it is of sufficient quality, that should not require any amendment.

The problem, however, would be that persons who will parade themselves as being “graduates” because they got in with a 120 JAMB score will be the pool available for any leader to pick from in serving and leading the country. The universities and polytechnics are the sources of staff for the public service, especially the Nigeria Civil Service which is almost in perpetual need of reform both in technical and administrative standard. Lowering entry standards for tertiary enrolment should have a multiplier effect on the standards of recruitment – both in process and in the persons recruited.

If the civil service is staffed by persons who have not gone through rigorous academic formation, what could the most virile and virtuous of leaders do?

Of lesser gravity is the continued distinction between the cut-off marks for entering universities and polytechnics, which does not seem to match the policy by paramilitary agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, the NSCDC and Immigrations, to break from the dichotomy. If they are going to be equals in the workplace, should there still be a difference in the scores required to enroll?