Recently, a delegation of senior lawyers of Igbo extraction met with Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, at the Government House, Umuahia, where they sought the support of South East Governors in revamping the Nigerian Law School in Enugu and making it conducive for learning.
By Emeka Nwosu
Recently, a delegation of senior lawyers of Igbo extraction met with Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, at the Government House, Umuahia, where they sought the support of South East Governors in revamping the Nigerian Law School in Enugu and making it conducive for learning. The lawyers led by their leader and Chairman of the Council of Legal Education in Nigeria, Emeka Ngige, SAN, came under the auspices of South East Law Development Initiative (SELDI).
In their interactions with Governor Otti, the group noted that the Law School in Enugu which serves the South East geo-political zone was in a depressed situation, adding that the various structures in the institution were in very poor condition. They appealed for the support of the governor in upgrading the facilities in the school and bringing the only Law Campus of the Nigerian Law School in the South East to acceptable standards.
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Otti promptly responded and assured the group of the willingness and readiness of his administration to help in solving the problems. He, however, stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation amongst the various State Governments in the South East to tackle the issues with the speed and urgency they deserve. He informed his audience that he would collaborate with his brother governors to ensure that the facilities of the Law School, situated in Agbani, Enugu State, are given a befitting facelift.
Otti advised the group to file their request through the Chairman of the South East Governors` Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, assuring them that such a regional approach would produce faster results and better dividends. He promised to galvanize his colleagues to ensure that Enugu Law School remains a centre of academic excellence.
“Write to the Chairman of the South East Governors` Forum and copy me, so that I can engage my colleagues on possible collective intervention”, he said, while commending legal practitioners for their role in society, describing them as critical agents in upholding justice and protecting citizens` rights.
The governor also reiterated his government`s commitment to quality education, highlighting the ongoing efforts to develop a brand new Law Faculty at Abia State University, Uturu.
We must commend Otti and indeed all the other South East Governors for the common synergy that exists among them and the unity of purpose this set of governors has continued to pursue under the chairmanship of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State. In all of this, Otti has proven himself as a catalyst of development not only in Abia, but within the region.
The existing comradeship and unity among the South East Governors should be applauded and encouraged by all well-meaning people of the South East. It is only when the governors cooperate and work together as a team that the South East can achieve rapid economic development and social integration.
In the past, the Governors worked at cross-purposes, and that seriously impacted negatively on the economic development of the zone. But, today with the kind of camaraderie and mutual understanding existing between Otti, Uzodimma, Peter Mbah, Chukwuma Soludo and Ogbonna Nwifuru, there is hope that the South East would bounce back to reckoning.
It is important to note that it was the cooperation existing between the governors that made it possible for the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to successfully take off in the East with a very impressive formal inauguration in Enugu last February.
If the governors continue to work together and appreciate that as Ndigbo, we are bound by a common destiny, there is no mountain that would be too difficult for them to level.
We commend Otti for his outstanding statesmanship and clear commitment to the retooling of the South East. With the support of his brother-governors, I believe that the Enugu Law School would be given a befitting status.
May Ala Igbo continue to prevail in peace and unity!
Emeka Nwosu, PhD, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia. Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com
