BOSAN, NBA, others laud Ngige on reappointment as CLE chair

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch History and Legacy Committee, National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL), Otu Oka Iwu (Law Society), and leading jurist, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu SAN have lauded Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) on his reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE).

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) also hailed the prominent Bar leader and leading litigator on his reappointment, saying it “is a testament of his commendable service whilst being in the saddle in the past four years from 2019-2023.”

Speaking at the inauguration of the new council in Abuja, the NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), lauded the Council for the giant strides recorded under the leadership of Ngige and promised to partner with it to uplift and reform legal education in Nigeria.

BOSAN, in a letter signed by its Secretary, Mr. Olumide Sofowora (SAN) said: “Indeed, your re-appointment is a testament to your commitment to excellent service and immense contribution to the development of the legal education in Nigeria.

“We note with admiration your exceptional philanthropic gestures which has manifested in the development of the Nigerian Law School, thereby impacting positively and realistically on the standard of legal education in Nigeria and ultimately the standard of legal practice nationally and internationally.”

BOSAN urged Ngige to continue his good works and never to relent. On its part, NACL prayed for another successful and impactful tenure by him, and for the continued positive impact in the legal profession and nation-building.

Otu Oka Iwu, the umbrella body of Igbo lawyers, noted that aside from clearing backlog of over 10,000 students and resolving the longstanding logjam on admission of National Open University (NOUN) law graduates to the Nigerian Law School, Ngige spearheaded a revision of the school’s curriculum and attracted several infrastructural facilities to the school through an ambitious rehabilitation programme tagged Nigerian Law School Support Initiative (NLSSI) which he conceived and birthed.

Ajogwu said: “This re-appointment is a well-deserved recognition of your outstanding leadership and commendable commitment to the legal profession and nation-building.”

Apart from several projects delivered by the Federal Government through the supervising Federal Ministry of Justice under Malami (SAN), the Rivers State Government constructed two hostels and a multi-purpose hall at the Yenagoa Campus of the Nigerian Law School. It capped its intervention with the construction of a state-of-the-art campus in Port Harcourt.

In collaboration with the school administration, the council built two medical centres at Abuja and Enugu campuses, commissioned a Moot Court built by the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986 and several staff quarters rehabilitated by the Enugu State Government, installed CCTV cameras in the examination halls at Abuja Headquarters, and commenced digitisation of Nigerian Law School files and documents to enhance speedy issuance of transcripts.

The council also approved the accreditation reports for law programmes in 37 universities, reviewed upwards the grading system for Bar Finals, overhauled its corporate governance regime, enforced disciplinary provisions in the Legal Education (Consolidation Etc) Act, and reviewed the Code of Conduct for the students.