*Concerned Alumni of the Lead City University Faculty of Law, in Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria, urge the authorities of the University to diligently appeal the decision of the Council of Legal Education for the Council to immediately grant academic institution and others their right to fair-hearing before making public pronouncements that may unduly be damaging to the integrity of the institution and others

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Concerned Alumni of the Lead City University Faculty of Law, in Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria, have urged the authorities of the University to diligently appeal the decision of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for the Council to immediately grant academic institution and others their right to fair-hearing before making public pronouncements that may unduly be damaging to the integrity of some of these great institutions and their alumni.

The alumni, in a statement, noted that their attention was drawn to the 鈥渧ery misleading聽reportage about its聽Law Faculty鈥�, which has produced both erudite lawyers and teachers of the Law for this and聽other Law Faculties, both nationally and internationally, including a Judge in United States (US) in the last 19 years.

According to them, the Faculty of Law of the private University also enjoys the full accreditation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) for all its academic programmes notably the LL.B, LL.M and Ph.D Laws.

The statement also noted: 鈥淟ikewise the esteemed Council for Legal Education approved and accredited its Law programme in a joint visitation with NUC.

鈥淭he erudite team of scholars and professionals that聽appraised the first-class facilities and human resources of the Faculty from the Council of Legal Education was led by Professor Isah Hayatou Ciroma, SAN.

鈥淭hus qualifying the graduates of the Law Faculty to proceed to the Law School and attain the envious status of Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.鈥�

The alumni, in the statement further said that their University鈥檚 Faculty of Law presents a purpose built two-floor Faculty Building, a 735-seater Lecture Hub, and large classrooms of various sizes comprising among others, well-equipped Law Library with both physical and on-line resources; Moot Court well-furnished with padded seats for 250 participants, Judges Chamber (en-suite); and Faculty Board Room with capacity for 100 people.

They equally disclosed the institution鈥檚 Faculty of Law has well-furnished and fully-air-conditioned offices for lecturers, administrators and Law Student Association (LSA), office and Common room, Law Clinic and Multi Door Court; and staffing is adequate across all cadres with retiring eminent Jurists in the Faculty.

鈥淭hese are facts we have always known for over a decade,鈥� stated the alumni.

They said: 鈥淚t is no news that the Nigerian Law School admits graduates far above the聽so-called聽admission quota for good reasons which often include delays in reviewing applications for increase in quota coming from the numerous institutions offering the Law programme.

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鈥淭here is some respite simply because It is not every Law graduate that aspires for immediate transition to the聽Law School.鈥�

The statement also noted: 鈥淲hile awaiting the promised review of its initial quota of 50 the Faculty has,聽with the gracious acquiescence of the聽Director-General of the Law School, Prof. Isah Hayatou Ciroma, enabled the admission of聽additional numbers聽 聽into the Law School as students should not suffer unduly while the usually long review processes and protocols are ongoing.

鈥淚ndeed, in the list for 2023 admissions, 30 of the candidates were added to the Dean鈥檚 list from the Faculty by the DG himself.

鈥淭his has been the trend over the years. We must commend the assistance of the DG in helping the University to accommodate demands of those willing to fulfill their dreams to study Law.鈥�

The former students of the University said: 鈥淲e understand that the recent visitation to the Faculty by the CLE team once again led聽by the erudite Prof. Isah Hayatu Ciroma pronounced positively on the state of the facilities of the Faculty but a clearly wrong report was placed before the meeting of the Council.

鈥淚t was a cut and paste resolution which did not reflect the true state of affairs in our First Class聽institution.

鈥淔urthermore, the report suppressed the highly relevant intervention of the Presidency on the matter- a flagrant disrespect to the High office of the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.鈥�

The concerned alumni added: 鈥淎ccordingly, we urge the authorities of Lead City University to diligently appeal the announced decision while we urge the esteemed CLE to immediately grant this and other institutions their right to fair hearing before making public pronouncements that may unduly be damaging to the integrity of some of these great institutions and their alumni.鈥�