More lawyers have weighed in on the revelation by the Nigerian Law School (NLS) Director-General, Prof Olanrewaju Onadeko (SAN) that some lawyers were caught writing examination for law students.
Onadeko spoke on August 25 when he presented the school‘s report to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Onadeko, who did not state the number of affected lawyers, urged NBA to act speedily on the matter.
Lagos lawyer Ugochukwu Ukamba wondered how the culprits were able to beat the ‘impregnable’ security at the Law School. He told The Nation that cheating would further dilute the standard of the profession.
He said: “If indeed the assertions of the Director-General are true, it raises concern on several levels. Firstly, it would appear that the lecturers and supervisors at this examination have become lax in their duty because it is difficult to comprehend how the lawyers, who wrote the exams for the students, beat the impregnable Law School structure.
“Secondly, the students themselves, who were involved in these alleged conducts already have shown propensity for fraud and the long- term effect of this is that the standard of the profession will be further watered down.”
Cross River-based Anthony Obi Oyoyo blamed the occurrence on the proliferation of Law School campuses. He suggested a return to the three-campus system.
He said: “The influx of students from private universities and the unreasonable proliferation of campuses is responsible for the rubbish. The solution is that campuses should return to either two or at most three campuses.
“We should forget the stupid quota system because of its proliferation potential. Presently the law (school) is an extension of faculties of law in the universities.
“Nigerians should be ashamed of themselves because the last sector is gone and the only academic pride of this country is facing the cemetery.”
Another Lagos lawyer, Benedicta Ikpabi, suggested that tough sanctions to prevent its occurrence.
She said: “The lawyers, who were caught writing exams for law school students, should be barred from ever practicing law in Nigeria because they are not fit and proper persons to be called lawyers.
“For the students, they should be barred from writing bar exams. They should also be prosecuted because exam malpractice is a criminal offence
“I believe if the foregoing actions are taken they will serve as deterrents to others who might still be thinking of committing such an embarrassing act.”
Source : The Nation
