•Olanipekun, Gadzama hail Ngige on appointment as Council of Legal Education chairman
Senior lawyers have urged the Council of Legal Education to find new ways to boost the quality of tuition Law School students receive.
They urged the council to introduce students to “complementary competencies,” which can help equip them for critical roles and duties.
The lawyers included a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Chief J-K Gadzama (SAN), Femi Falana ( SAN) and Prof Fabian Ajogwu (SAN).
They spoke at a reception last week, organised by friends of Chief Ngige (SAN) who was named chairman of the Council of Legal Education by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Silks also congratulated Ngige for his appointment and expressed confidence in his ability to advance the course of the Nigerian Law School.
Ajogwu, who spoke on “Rethinking legal education in Nigeria to meet needs of 21st century,” urged the council to expose students to knowledge that would enhance their efficiency.
He said: “Students must be exposed to the rudiments of business – having a basic understanding of the tools that managers use to understand and evaluate business opportunity and provoke and sharpen their critical thinking skills.
“Also the basic tenets of New Technology must be made known in such learning platforms. The increasing speed and sophistication of information technology is reshaping virtually every aspect of our world.
“Lawyers who expect to operate in this new environment must understand how technology is reshaping the markets in which their clients compete, as well as the practice of law itself, including the use of “big data,” he said.
He suggested that to equip students for critical roles and duties, “learning platforms must endeavour to introduce students to the array of complementary competencies designed to integrate knowledge and techniques from other disciplines into the curriculum.”
Olanipekun, who was chairman on the occasion, described Ngige as: “One of those who made the legal profession robust and interesting. He deserves to be honoured; he is a lawyer to the core.”
He added: “We are producing lawyers in their thousands every year, but nobody thinks or suggests what lawyers would do tomorrow. I pray that for every Nigerian lawyer, tomorrow would be rosy. But how do we plan a rosy tomorrow for ourselves? Younger ones must learn from the older ones, Rome was not built in a day or two but one step at a time.”
For Gadzama, “Emeka is somebody you can go to any length to sacrifice for. He is a man of deep intellect, wisdom, truthful; you must appreciate him as a good and dependable friend. He interacts very well, has creativity, foresight, and above all, he is hardworking.”
The Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), said: “We will work together to move the Law School forward. The Council which comprises the NBA President, 36 Attorneys-General, Deans of Faculties of Law of Nigerian Universities, 15 NBA Representatives as members, about 100 people sitting as council under him will formulate good policies or approve policies for the school will make the Law School at par with such schools in other climes.”
President of the League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) Chijioke Okoli (SAN) described Ngige as a “very dependable ally”.
He added: “Emeka is a lawyer’s lawyer, he fights on the side of the people, besides courtroom, there is this issue of character, he is as constant as the Northern Star, unrelenting in his commitments and convictions, hardworking, integrity and he will tap into the untapped resources that the Nigerian Law School has.”
Former Country Representative of the International Bar Association (IBA) in Nigeria, Chief Richard Oma Ahunaruogho, stated that “having somebody like Chief Emeka Ngige who knows the feeling of the Bar as Chairman of the Council of Legal Education is a great thing.”
He called for the ceding of the NBA House in Abuja to the Nigerian Law School “for the training of our young children.”
Chief Guy Ikokwu said of Ngige: “Ikemba means a strong man and Ngige has been a strong man in the NBA.
“Ngige has attended all the meetings of the NBA and contributes greatly to the development of the law.”
M.K Ahmad said: “We must envisage the law and future of the law by rethinking the legal profession. We will help the honouree to achieve his vision for the Nigerian Law School. A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
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