The forum of law graduates of the National Open
University of Nigeria, NOUN, has petitioned the
National Judicial Council (NJC) seeking inclusion
for training in law school.
The graduates sought the NJC leave to mandate
Council of Legal Education (CLE) to extend
admission quotas to National Open University of
Nigeria (NOUN) for vocational training in the
Nigerian Law School.
According to the law graduates, in a petition
signed by their chairman – Carl Umegboro, they
took the CLE to court seeking redress at the
Federal High Court for a peaceful resolutions, but
for three years of being in court (after
graduation), they have faced delays and
politically-motivated technicalities adopted to
frustrate the efforts.
The petition reads: “It has become indispensable
to bring to your notice the agonizing
intimidations and frustrations by the Council of
Legal Education (CLE) in conjunction with the
judiciary as a whole over our rightful admission
and training in the Nigerian Law School, a
facility-solely owned by the federal government
of Nigeria.
“Following CLE’s refusal to extend admission
quotas to National Open University of Nigeria
(NOUN) for vocational training in the Nigerian
Law School despite the university’s accreditation
and approval by the National Universities
Commission (NUC) and federal government
respectively, we, the NOUN Law graduates civilly
and respectfully approached to seek redress at
the Federal High Court for peaceful resolutions,
but for three years in court (after graduation), we
have faced unjustifiable delays and politically-
motivated technicalities adopted to frustrate the
efforts of innocent citizens. But still confident on
the legal justice system which we aspire to be
practitioners, we remained unruffled patiently
waited for justice to take its course.
“Eventually, the arguments on the matter
successfully took place on 07 December, 2016,
and the presiding judge, Hon. Justice B.O. Quadri
fixed 27 January, 2017 to deliver judgment. As
scheduled, on our arrival from all geographical
zones in the country as delegates to the Federal
High Court in Port Harcourt, the ugly news was
broken that the judgment we travelled far
distances to witness would not be delivered as
the presiding judge has been transferred to Abuja
Judicial Division after fixing the judgment but
without directives on the matter.
“By implication, a matter already fixed for
judgment may be recommenced, sadly not by
judicial orders of a superior court accordingly.
What an aberration, intimidation and tyranny.
“We reject such vindictiveness and undue
influences, and request that you use your good
offices to see that the needful is timely done as
we also solemnly call upon all well-meaning
Nigerians and civil society groups to stand
against tyranny and acts capable of thwarting
the rule of law in the society before it is too late.
See also DAILY SUN Newspapers of 06 February,
2017 at page 14 titled “Between Law School and
NOUN Law Graduates”.
“We look forward to your urgent patriotic
interventions.”
