Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Professor Violet Aigbokhaevbo, on Friday advocated an increase in the number of law students being admitted into the Nigerian Law School from the university.
Aigbokhaevbo made the call while taking the university’s Law Class of 1985 on a tour of facilities in the faculty.
The class was on a courtesy call on the faculty as part of its reunion activities in Benin.
The dean said that the faculty now had enough facilities to warrant the request for an increase from the current quota of 180 students.
She said with the over 200 law graduates in 2021, about 50 could not make it to Law school due to the quota system.
The dean urged the Council of Legal Education of Nigeria to hasten its accreditation visit to the faculty to increase the quota.
Meanwhile, the dean has commended the alumni of the faculty for sponsoring 20 indigent students to Nigerian Law School.
Aigbokhaevbo said the individual and collective support from the old students was giving hope to many students, who would ordinarily have dropped out.
She acknowledged that many amenities in the faculty were provided by the old students.
“I have to say this that our old students have been a beacon of hope for indigent students.
“Initially, some of us in the faculty pooled something together from our salaries to help these brilliant students, who did not have means to go to law school.
“But our old students have also joined in this gesture. About 20 are currently being sponsored by various alumni,” she said.
The dean, however, urged the visiting set to help with a 32 seater bus for the faculty to assist in their engagements outside the school.
In his address, Chairman of the 1985 set, Dr Roland Otaro, SAN, promised the faculty an undisclosed donation from the set.
This, Otaro said would be different from other personal assistance that members of the class would offer.
He expressed the delight of the class members over the facilities on ground at the faculty.
Otaruu announced scholarship for two law students and a N300,000 annual prize for overall best male student from the faculty.
Meanwhile, N250,000 prize each was also announced yearly for the best graduating student in property law, as well as best female graduating student by some members of the set.