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Wike Urges Lawmakers To Insulate Nigerian Law School From Politics
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the bill in the National Assembly which seeks to establish two campuses of the Nigerian Law School in each of the geopolitical zone in Nigeria, is politically motivated.
He said the proponents of the bill titled, ‘A bill for an Act to amend the Legal Education (Consolidation etc.) Act by establishing the campuses for the Nigerian Law School, and for other related matters’ merely want to score cheap political point in their constituencies ahead of the 2023 general election.
Governor Wike made this assertion during an unscheduled inspection of ongoing construction work at the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said it is so unfortunate that some Senators want to politicised the establishment of Nigerian Law School campuses, even when there are glaring evidences that the Federal government cannot adequately fund the existing ones.
Governor Wike stated that the proposal that in the South-South zone, one Law School campus should be in Yenagoa and another in the village of the Deputy Senate President, when approval had been given for the establishment of the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas campus in Port Harcourt, smacks of petty politics.
According to him, there is no way the Council of Legal Education will support politically induced proliferation of Law School campuses across the country.
“It is so unfortunate in this country that everything is being politicised. We are not perturbed because the Federal Government approved the establishment of this Law School. We got a letter from Mr President through the Honourable, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, approving the establishment of this Law School. And he stated graciously through the Council of Legal Education that it should be established here in Port Harcourt .
“We said we are going to provide all the necessary infrastructure. I can see the level of infrastructure that is being provided, which of course I have said before is going to be world class infrastructure that is supposed to be in a Law School. We are not only providing this infrastructure, we are also providing accommodation where the lecturers will live with all other things attached to it. And this Law School will have its own investment to take care of the Law School whether the government is here or not.
“From what I heard, the Deputy Senate President through some other lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to establish two schools per zone, and then saying that one will be in Yenagoa and one in Delta state, in the village of the Deputy Senate President. It is most unfortunate” he said.
Governor Wike noted that Law School is a highly technical institution that should be insulated from politics. He urged those behind the bill seeking the establishment of more Law School campuses to also bear in mind the cost of funding them.
“Today, to even fund one Law School, see how problematic it is. Go to the Abuja Law School, go to Yenagoa Law School, see how they are. And see what we are doing. It is not easy to fund the existing Law School and you are now saying that the Federal Government should establish two Law School in each zone. Where will the funding come from? Everything is being politicised.”
The Rivers State governor after assessment of the progress of work at the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas campus, expressed optimism that in the next six months, the brand new campus fully funded by the State government will be handed over to the Council of Legal Education for commencement of academic activities.
“The Council of Legal Education has said in the establishment of further Law School, Port Harcourt model must be used. This is not a place where you have a makeshift, where there are buildings before and then you want to adopt it and create a Law School . It is well designed.”
He said the Rivers State government has already provided 80 percent funding for the ongoing construction work at the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas campus and Certificate of Occupancy have been issued to the Council of Legal Education.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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