President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Halima, and an 80-year-old, Mr. Enebeli Pius Chuka, the oldest man to be called to the Nigerian Bar, were among the 2,259 called to the Bar in Abuja yesterday following their success at the April 2016 Bar final examinations conducted by the Nigerian Law School under the supervision of the Council of Legal Education.
Halima Buhari was accompanied by her mother, Aisha Buhari, alongside her siblings to the colourful call-to-bar ceremony at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Olanrewaju Onadeko, said the 80-year-old man was the oldest new wig ever produced by the Nigerian Law School.
Onadeko said the classroom IT solution, a video conferencing platform linking all campuses of the Nigerian Law School, deployed by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NICOMSAT), would be commissioned soon to enable members of the Bar and the Bench interact with students at any of the campuses of the law school.
He said the violation of admission quotas by some faculties of law remained a major challenge and reiterated the need for strict adherence to allocated students’ numbers by universities, adding that failure to keep to these numbers would negatively affect the quality of their products.
The DG said some faculties of law have had their accreditation withdrawn for violating admission quotas.
Onadeko noted that when universities violated their law school admission quotas, the projection of the school in the short and medium terms would be disrupted.
The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Bandele Aiku, while congratulating the new wigs for being found worthy in learning and character to be called to the Bar, reminded them that a lawyer was not only an officer of the court, but held a position of trust and confidence among members of the community.
He said the success at the Bar demanded more than a distinction in law examinations, adding: “It demands correct behaviour of true and proper professional spirit, and a proper understanding and wise use of the tools of the craft.”
