Chiroma takes over as Director General Law School, as council seeks improved standard.
The council of legal education has advocated for a more stringent qualification for the admittance of law graduates into the Nigeria law school.
The council through its acting chairman and president of proposed for the adoption of a minimum qualification of second class upper (2.1) for all the intending lawyers in the country.
Mahmoud said it had become imperative for the council to raise the minimum entry requirement into the Nigerian law school. So as to bring it at par with the global standard.
He spoke at the formal handing over ceremony between the outgoing Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr.olanrewanju Onadeko SAN, and his successor Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma. Last Friday Mahmoud SAN, insisted that various law faculties in the country were to be blamed for the poor standard of Nigerian legal education, by saying they constantly chun- out half-baked law school applicants.
He said: “we need to raise the standard of the legal education in Nigeria”. The standard is too poor.
In the United States of America the cut off point for the Bar Exam is between 60 and 70 percent, in the United Kingdom. We were told that the law schools there do not admit students less than 2nd class upper division law degree. But there we admit students with pass and 3rd class law degrees.
“The cutoff point of Nigerian law school which is 40 percent is too low. We want to make it at par to what is obtainable in other Bar across the world”.
Mahmoud informed the new law school boss that the council would prioritize structure of the bar exam as well as the pass cut off point.
“I challenge the council to up the minimum standard in accordance with what is obtainable in other jurisdictions. I think we need to raise the quality of legal education in this country”.
The standard is too poor and too weak, and we see it in the quality of lawyers that come to our chambers. So, this is one of the tasks I am giving the incoming Director General. There are a lot of areas we need to see improvements “he added”.
Nevertheless, the Nigeria Bar Association president who presided over the handover ceremony that took place at law school Headquarters at Bwari Abuja showered encomiums on the retired Director Onadeko, for what he termed, “his immense sacrifice of service”. He said the school witnessed tremendous development during Onadeko’s tenure as it’s Director General.
In his speech, professor Chiroma said he was determined to build on the legacy of his predecessors by improving infrastructure and the entire management system of the school.
Chiroma who hails from Adamawa state is a professor of law and the former Deputy Director in charge of the yola campus of the Nigeria law school.
He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to take over from Onadeko who had piloted affairs of the law school since December 10, 2013.
Reported By:
Molindo Mary Nkoyo (Probono Partner)
07039020801
