Automatic NDA admission breaches federal character principle, official tells Reps

The Nigerian Defence Academy has opposed a proposed amendment to its enabling Act that would grant automatic admission to graduates of military secondary schools, warning that the move could undermine the constitutional principle of federal character and discriminate against other qualified Nigerians. The academy’s position was presented on Tuesday by the Director of Military Training, Brigadier General Taiye Ahmed, during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Defence on proposed amendments to defence-related laws. The hearing, chaired by the Chairman of the Committee, Babajimi Benson, considered four bills, including a proposal to amend the NDA Act to provide automatic admission for graduates of Nigerian military schools into the academy. Ahmed told lawmakers that the amendment seeks to alter Section 8(2) of the Second Schedule to the NDA Act by introducing what he described as an “automatic admission, right of first refusal” arrangement for graduates of military secondary schools. According to him, the proposed amendment provides that, “The board shall offer automatic admission for successful graduates from Nigerian military schools.” He explained that proponents of the bill justified the proposal on the grounds that military school graduates possess military training and should be protected from possible recruitment by criminal and violent groups. “The justification advanced by the proponents is to prevent the graduates of the schools from being handy tools in the hands of non-state violent actors because of the graduate military background,” he said. The proposed amendment also seeks to define Nigerian military schools as institutions providing both military and academic training, including the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, Air Force Military School, Air Force Girls Military School and the Nigerian Navy Military School. However, Ahmed said the NDA does not support the amendment in its current form, arguing that it could create constitutional and legal complications. “It was observed that if the amendment is passed as phrased, it has the potential of creating statutory bottlenecks on the constitutional principle of federal character. The NDA operates on this principle to ensure national unity and equal representation across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT,” he said. He warned that granting automatic admission to a particular category of applicants could be challenged as discriminatory by other Nigerians seeking admission into the academy. “Moreover, the proposed amendment could