Poor maintenance, Nyesom Wike ,Nigeria Law School Port Harcourt ,
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and immediate Past Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike has expressed disappointment over the poor management of the Nabo Graham Douglas Nigerian Law School built.and commissioned by his administration less than a year ago.
He expressed his disappointment at maintenance attitude of Legal Education Council whose charge it is to manage the institution.
The former Governor was particular about how the premises of the Law School have been taken over by weeds.
Wike expressed his dissatisfaction while delivering his keynote address at the 2023 Annual Summit of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Young Lawyers Forum in Port Harcourt over the weekend, with the theme: ‘Breaking Barriers: Creating Future Leaders in Nigeria from the Present and Next Generation of Young Lawyers’.
The former Rivers State governor, whose government initiated, built, furnished and equipped the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt Campus, said, with the huge resources invested in the edifice, the present state of the school was appalling.
Wike , however,expressed optimism that the future leaders of the country would emerge among them, stating that it was one of the reasons the Rivers State government under his administration took up the project and ensured its actualisation.
He said he had told the Director General of the Law School that he was highly disappointed at the condition of the Law School, considering the huge investment made by his administration to forestall the present rot.
Wike noted several challenges impeding the growth of young lawyers and urged government, prominent private legal practitioners and firms to encourage the forum for professional advancement and fulfilment.
Earlier, Chairman, NBA-Young Lawyers Forum, Port Harcourt Branch, Victor Enebeli, said, as young lawyers, they needed to harness the abundant potential of the country and appealed for the platform to excel in the profession.
Enebeli said that members of the forum were willing to use their potential to contribute to the development of legal profession and the nation.
He spoke at the 2023 Annual Summit of Young Lawyers forum held at the Justice Mary Odili Judicial Institute in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
On it’s part ,the Rivers State Government has assured of sustaining support for the legal profession in the State.
Such support will enable Judicial officers to become competent, independent and impartial in the discharge of their obligations.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara gave the assurance while declaring open the 2023 edition of the annual summit of the Young Lawyers Forum of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Chapter at the Justice Mary Odili Judicial Institute.
The summit has as it’s theme: “Breaking the Barriers, creating future leaders in Nigeria, from the present and next generation of young lawyers.”
Governor Fubara was represented at the event by the Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Professor Zacchaus Adangor.
The governor noted with delight the opportunity that the annual event had provided the young lawyers because they had had were learn how best to express ideas, pursue their aspirations and other exceptional issues that had equipped them for leadership roles.
The governor asserted that when lawyers abide by their work ethics, and practice within the rules guiding the profession, they will be able lead a professional life of integrity, honesty and be transparent too.
Such professional rectitude, he stressed, will make the legal profession more virtuous while justice will be trusted and fair to everybody.
Governor Fubara urged the young lawyers to strive to be the best because they are the future of the legal profession.
They also advised them to take advantage of the training the summit had availed them so that they can surmount legal challenges
On their part the Retired Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili described young lawyers as the bedrock of the legal profession, sort after by law firms and legal departments.
They noted that as young lawyers take their experiences serious when involved in legal trials delivering of legal services to clients and to the government, they will be able to contribute their quota in shaping the quality and the direction of jurisprudence available to the larger society.
End
Photo Captions
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory,FCT, Abuja,and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State.