Lagos CJ commends Caleb varsity for getting approval of relevant bodies before commencing any programme
…Calls on legal educators, others to salvage fallen standard of legal training, education in Nigeria
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba has commended the management of Caleb University for always seeking and getting approval of all relevant bodies before commencing programmes.
Alogba further decried over the fallen standard of legal training and education in the country, charging the legal educators and others to help salvage the sector.
The Chief stated these in Ikeja while receiving senior management staff of the College of Law, Caleb University, Imota, who visited him in his office to inform him of his appointment as the Chair of the Board of the College.
Alogba traced the downward trend to the manner some students acquire their Ordinary Level General Certificate in Education results by patronising ‘miracle centres’ where they are helped to pass their examinations.
He said, “The standard has fallen terribly. Some lawyers cannot even speak good English. Some do not understand when judges are giving them hints about errors in the papers they have filed before the court. A judge who does not want a miscarriage of justice because of some flaws in papers filed before him can tell a lawyer to please look at paragraph so and so in his brief, still some lawyers would still not get the gist.
“It is a shame. Students must be ready to work and read hard. There is no shortcut to success. Students need to read more than a book on a subject. I am happy to hear that your library is well stocked and up to date. I am ready to contribute my own quota, at personal and official levels, to assist the College of Law, Caleb University.”
Speaking earlier, the Dean/Provost, College of Law, Caleb University, Prof. Bello Orubebe, noted that apart from the approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) the college also sought and got approval from the Council of Legal Education before starting.
According to him, “We opted to follow due process by submitting ourselves to the NUC for approval. We again sought and got the approval of the Council of Legal Education and we were given interim accreditation status.
“Private universities are not supposed to jump some basic steps We recruited good hands from within and outside Nigeria as teachers.
“We have over 10,800 books in our law library. English Law Report from 1578 to 2019, the Nigerian Weekly Law Report three sets up to last week, the Federation Law Report up to the latest edition.”
Orubebe said judgments from high courts are underreported and that his colleagues had the capacity to bridge that gap.
The law professor added that while the college was given 50 admission slots, 35 had so far been filled and that it would never overshoot its quota.
So that no student would be left behind, Orubebe stated that special consideration would be given to the handicapped and other disadvantaged groups.
Explaining what the role of the CJ would be as the chair of the board, Orubebe said it would afford the CJ the opportunity to help mentor staff and students and that no financial compensation is attached to it.
