Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that the state government built the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt to be a self-sustaining institution in Nigeria.
Wike stated this yesterday while handing over the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the property to the campus (acquired by the state government) to the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN).
The governor made the presentation when he conducted Ngige together with the Director-General of Nigeria Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN) and other dignitaries around the structures on the law campus that are completed and ready for formal handover.
He said the acquisition of the adjoining property to the campus would 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.
According to Wike, “We are using this opportunity to present the Certificate of Occupancy of the property we have acquired and paid for by the Rivers State Government for the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt campus to you (Chairman).
“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.
“Very soon, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the director-general of the school will meet to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). It will ensure that you won’t take revenue from here to subsidies for other campuses. Any money you make here will be put on this campus.”
The governor also told them that with the construction work on all the structures on the campus now completed, the state government awaits the Council of Legal Education to choose a date for the campus be formally handed over to them.
In his response, Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, noted that they were on inspection of the facility, and were amazed at what they have seen.
“On July 17, 2021, was when we came for the foundation laying ceremony, and His Excellency promised that this project would be delivered in one year. Behold, today is June 27, not up to July yet, and he had delivered.
“I recalled that when we were doing the ground breaking ceremony, he promised that every month, he would 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 that that is unparalleled.”
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Chiroma, described the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus in Port Harcourt as the best and mother of all Law campuses in Nigeria.
He said: “On behalf of the council, we are very grateful for a promise made and kept. This is the turning point in the history of legal education in Nigeria.
