The Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has assured that it will not interfere in the day-to-day running of the institution.

This is even as the University has revealed that its students would henceforth benefit from the Federal Government’s student’s loan scheme, blaming its earlier exclusion on hiccups from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday after its inaugural meeting, Chairman of the Governing Council of NOUN and former governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, said the Council would ensure that the institution ranks among the best in the world.

The Chairman, who met with the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Femi Peters and other principal officers of the institution, promised to hit the ground running.

While assuring that the Council would do its best to ensure that the university is adequately funded, the Chairman promised to run an open door policy, even as he called for cooperation amongst the staff of the institution.

On fears expressed by stakeholders of a possible clash between governing councils and university management, Yuguda said, “We know what it takes to fail an entity like this. Because we have managed organisations that were successful. We know our assignment here. We have the constitution of the university. They know their schedule of duties and we know ours.

“As Council Chairman, I am assuring you that I will never allow anyone of us as council members to interfere in whatever the executives are doing.”

The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman had on Thursday inaugurated the governing councils of federal tertiary institutions with a charge on appointees not to interfere in the daily running of their respective institutions.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Femi Peters disclosed that NOUN students would henceforth benefit from the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, blaming its earlier exclusion on hiccups from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

“First is the issue of Students’ loan. There was a misrepresentation by JAMB. And they have since corrected it. You can confirm from JAMB. We have always registered with JAMB every semester after admission.

“As regards the admission requirements, we have followed the same admission requirements like all other universities. So, we don’t have people in here who don’t have the necessary qualifications. And like my Chair of Council said, the National Universities Commission (NUC) in their accreditation processes, would have taken that one out if we are failing in that.

“So our students are now going to enjoy the students loan system because it was a challenge with JAMB rather than us. The challenge was with JAMB, not with National Open University and they have since resolved it,” Prof. Peters said.

Last month, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) revealed that the inability of NOUN students to possess the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Number – one of the major requirements before accessing the facility – would hinder them from accessing the students’ loan.