Disregard Sentiment On More Law School Campuses, Wike Urges

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has said approval for any new campus of the Nigerian Law School in the country should be based on needs assessment and not on political sentiment.
He noted that with the paucity of funds being allocated to the Nigerian Law School by the Federal Government, states with capacity to build brand new campuses of the institution should be encouraged to do so based on the model provided by the Council of Legal Education.
Wike stated this when members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters led by its Chairman, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
This is as members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters have endorsed the Dr. Nabo Graham-Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt, and declared that it has come to stay.
The Rivers State governor observed that due to the current insufficient carrying capacity of the Nigerian Law School, there has been clamour for proliferation of more campuses across the country.
He, however, cautioned that this must not be done on the basis of political sentiment.
“Most of us attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and even at that time, it was not easy to have accommodation within the school. But, at least, we were able to attend classes. So, it is reasonable for everybody to say there is need to increase the carrying capacity. But that must be done with objectivity; that must be done with facts that must not be done by sentiment.”
He explained that two years ago when he attended the call to bar ceremony at the Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School, he was appalled by the decrepit infrastructure in the school.
According to him, this was what spurred the Rivers State Government to build 900 bed space hostels and 1,500 capacity auditorium for students in Yenagoa campus, and then, the subsequent construction of a brand new campus in Port Harcourt.
“From the record I’ve checked, they’ve (Nigerian Law School) never gotten more than N61million to fund the law school yearly. And I made a special appeal to support to Council of Legal Education to rehabilitate the campus in Abuja, and the Director General said no, we have more problem in Yenagoa, leave Abuja.
“You’ll never allow your slave to attend the campus in Yenagoa. And I want to thank the DG for being a true Nigerian. As I speak to you today, Rivers State Government is investing not less than N5.1billion in Yenagoa campus. What is our interest? Our interest is to contribute to the development of legal education in Nigeria.”
Wike said based on the Federal Government’s inability to sufficiently fund the Nigerian Law School, any state government that desires to have a campus should approach the Council of Legal Education for approval.
“I will appeal, in solving this carrying capacity problem, let’s not also create other problems. It is a professional school and so we must be guided. If any state wants to have a law school there must be a model.”
The governor explained that the construction of Nabo Graham-Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt will cost the Rivers State government N16billion.
According to him, every thing that is supposed to be in a law school would be found in the Port Harcourt campus when it is completed early next year.
“We are not just merely building a law school; we have acquired investment to handover to the law school to use to sustain the school here. This is a model that a law school should be.”
The governor also disclosed once the project is completed and handed over to the Council of Legal Education, the state government would also provide subvention to the council to run the campus for the next four years.
In his remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, said they were in the state to assess the progress of work at the Port Harcourt Campus of the Nigerian Law School.
“Your Excellency, when we were all privileged to study law in this country and just as we are doing graduation, the Nigerian Law School was waiting to absorb us. We have children in this country who graduated some two, three, four years ago and they are still waiting to be absorbed into the Nigerian Law School.
“Was it based on the refusal by the Nigerian Law School to so admit them, no. But based simply on the fact that the Nigerian Law School, as presently constituted and as funded, is lacking the capacity to be able to respond to the corresponding needs of the Nigerian public, given the number of universities that turned out law graduates every year.”
He commended the governor for his intervention to build a befitting campus of the Nigerian Law School in Rivers State.
However, members of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters have endorsed the Dr. Nabo Graham-Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt and declared that it has come to stay.
The committee members gave the endorsement shortly after inspecting ongoing civil construction work at the campus as part of their oversight function in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
They were conducted round the project sites by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, first to the staff quarters beside the Hotel Presidential and then to the law school campus at Rumueme, Port Harcourt.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele said they were, no doubt, impressed with what they have seen in Port Harcourt.
According to him, their colleagues in the Senate, including the leadership of the Senate who have invested so much trust and put them in charge of the committee were waiting to hear from them.
But, he emphasised, that what they have seen was consistent with global best practice standard when it comes to providing legal education.
“And we are really excited about this for the future of the legal profession which is our own primary constituency, because ours is a committee where virtually, all members are lawyers and members of this profession.
“It was important for us to come here because we are not going to just write any report and take any decision based on sentiment. I mean, this is a nonpartisan legislative action.”
Bamidele noted that Rivers State is boldly setting a standard for legal education in the country and it does appear to be a high one.
“After inspecting the ongoing works, the governor also took us to inspect existing property that have been acquired for the purpose of surrendering these same property to the law school to use as a source of revenue. That’s why I’m saying there’s a Rivers standard.
“And of course, when you now come to the quality of what is on ground, more than any of the law schools that have existed before the creation of this, we have seen quality here that will distinctly place this on the world map when you’re talking about law school campuses that can stand the test of time.”
Bamidele explained that having come to determine what actually is on ground and also to see the quality of work, they are fascinated to see about 750 workers on the construction site.
According to him, that is something that gladdens their hearts because at a time like this, the Rivers State Government was able to provide such number of jobs to its people.
“There is a need for us to engage in activities that will create employment opportunities for our people. We have seen a lot of artisans here at work, contractors are here at work.
“A lot of building materials are being brought to this site and the economic implication of these are far reaching for Rivers State and on the long run for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We do not take that for granted. Beyond the employment opportunities that this is creating temporarily, we also know that an additional campus of the Nigerian Law School taking off in Port Harcourt would also mean a long term career job opportunities for people who will also work here as administrative staff.
“The number of lecturers that will increase, as career people. We feel that’s another reason why this deserve to be celebrated.”
Bamidele said except the Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School that was created by an operation of law in 1962, the other five campuses were created by administrative action like the campus in Port Harcourt because it was approved by the President of the country.