Legal chiefs hail as Wike hands over Port Harcourt campus of Nigerian Law School

• It is unparalleled, says Ngige, chairman CLE. • It’s best and mother of law campuses in Nigeria says NLS DG • Group condemns vandalism of national assets

Barely one year after Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, commenced construction of the Port Harcourt campus of Nigerian Law School, the facility has been completed, furnished and handed over to the school authorities. 

Wike had, during the flag-off of the project on July 17, 2021, announced that the state government had the capacity to construct, furnish and deliver the campus with  1,500 capacity classroom blocks, among others. 

The governor also, yesterday, handed over the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of adjoining property of the campus acquired by the Rivers State Government to the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, (SAN).

The presentation came after Wike conducted Ngige and the Director-General of Nigeria Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, (SAN) and other dignitaries around the campus.

The governor, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the edifice, named Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus, was established to be a self-sustaining institution.

He quoted the governor as saying during the event: “We are using this opportunity to present the Certificate of Occupancy of the property we have acquired and paid for by the Rivers State Government for the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas, Port Harcourt Campus, to you (Chairman).

“We are giving the property to you for the purposes of making some revenue to run this campus. Whatever revenue derived is to be utilised for this campus alone.”

In his response, Ngige said they were amazed by what they saw.

He said: “I learnt that he had acquired adjoining property, houses, shopping malls and other business facilities for the Law School to rent out to raise revenue to run this institution. I can tell you it is unparalleled.”

Chiroma described the campus as the best and mother of all law campuses in Nigeria. 

Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C. J. Okocha, (SAN), described Wike as a performer, who keeps promises.

Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, (SAN), described the project as historic and iconic “because there is nothing like it across the country.”
  
The Guardian gathered that about N16 billion was expended on the project.