• Friday, March 29, 2024
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‘Mother of all Law School campuses’ ready in PH

‘Mother of all Law School campuses’ ready in PH

The law school campus that would overtake all other law school campuses in Nigeria is ready in Port Harcourt, close to Agip Flyover, on Abacha Road in the GRA 3. The campus is built at N16billion cost.

It is called the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus, just built by the Rivers State Government and to be donated to the Nigerian Law School as its PH campus. The Council of Legal Education has already dubbed it as “the Mother of all Law School Campuses” in Nigeria.

Nabo Graham Douglas is the first attorney-general and commissioner of justice in Rivers State who went on to serve the Yakubu Gowon military administration as Federal Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. Now, his home-state has honoured him by naming the multi-billion naira complex in his memory.

Governor Nyesom Wike has stated that the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt has been built with self-sustaining mechanism.

To achieve that objective, Wike last week handed over the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of adjoining property to the campus acquired by the State government to the chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Emeka Ngige, SAN, after conducting the chairman round the complex along with the Director-General of Nigeria Law School, Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, and other dignitaries for formal handover ahead.

Governor Wike said the acquisition of the adjoining property to the campus will enable the operators of the campus to use them for sundry commercial and revenue-generating activities in order to meet the financial needs of the Law School in Port Harcourt.

“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,” he said.

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He said an agreement on this would soon be drafted.

Wike also told them that with the construction work on all the structures in the campus now completed, the state government awaits the Council to choose a date to take over the complex.

In his response, chairman of Council noted that they were on inspection of the facility and are amazed at what they have seen.

Ngige (SAN) said: “The 17th July 2021 was when we came for the foundation-laying ceremony and His Excellency promised that this project will be delivered in one-year. Behold, today is June 27th, not up to July yet and he had delivered.

“Recall that when we were doing the ground breaking ceremony, His Excellency promised that every month he will give this campus N10million for four years, and will be given in advance, that is about N480 million to run this institution.

“When 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.”

On his part, the Director-General of Nigerian Law School, Isa Hayatu Chiroma described the Port Harcourt campus as the best and mother of all Law campuses in Nigeria.

During the inspection of the lecturers quarters in New Government Residential Area in Port Harcourt, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C. J. Okocha, SAN, said Governor Wike is a performer, who keeps promises and has delivered the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Port Harcourt Campus that is tastefully constructed and furnished before the record time he set for himself.

Also speaking, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Okey Wali, SAN, noted that Governor Wike has done this to show that he is a lover of democracy and for promotion of the judicial system in Nigeria.

The 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. He said Governor Wike has provided it as a commitment to advancing legal education in the country.

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