A former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Awa Kalu, SAN, has warned the Federal Government over establishment of many Law School campuses in the country.
The legal professional expressed his concern over an attempt to create six new campuses of the Nigerian Law School, stating that it will degenerate the ethic of the noble legal profession.
Kalu said this in an exclusive interview with Vanguard published on Wednesday.
He was asked about his views on the recent bill passed by the Senate for the establishment of six more branches of the Nigerian Law School in the six geo- political zones in the country.
Kalu said, “I know that at this time, we have different campuses of the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, Yola, Yenagoa, as well as one that is upcoming in Port Harcourt and I cannot therefore understand what you mean by ‘six more branches of the Nigerian Law School in the six geo-political zones in the country.’”
“I must say that in this country, we have a way of overdoing things. If, therefore, there is an attempt to open up six new campuses, then that would be putting our legal education in overdrive. Too many cooks, they say, spoil the broth. In that connection, we must appreciate and this is very well understood, that we already have a discernable drop in standards, quality, as well as a degeneration in the ethics of the legal profession. Accordingly, let us not hire more cooks.
As a legal practitioner who has been in politics, he also expressed spoke on political worries surrounding placeholder by political parties.
Kalu said, “To put it mildly, there is plenty that is wrong with our politics. The rise in the use of Placeholder is worrisome, and I do not see it as a problem arising from the law. Our political environment obviously indicates that our politicians, as seasoned as most of them are, are not willing to address what in other places, they call the sociology of politics.
“In this country, ethnic tensions are very high, religious sentiments are forever soaring. Of more concern is the forgetfulness of practising politicians that morality and social ethics should be at the core of political movements. Therefore, it is difficult for those of us who are pedestrian politicians to understand why the practising politicians can hug controversial issues such as “Muslim-Muslim ticket, Christian-Christian ticket, Igbo-Igbo ticket, Yoruba-Yoruba ticket, Hausa-Hausa ticket, Hausa-Fulani ticket, Southern-Southern ticket or Northern-Northern ticket” and such other confusing duopolies as have led to placeholding.
“As soon as we rid our political system of frustrating combinations, which only have the tendency to up the antenna of pressuring our system, we will still be marching without movement. Having created a democracy day, we ought to imbibe the spirit of Rotary’s four way test; that is to say in all you think, say or do, Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all?”
Credit : THE VANGUARD .
