Following the notice of protest issued to the federal government and security agencies by Law Graduates Forum (LGF) of National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN) over its face-off with Nigerian Law School, the Department of State Service (DSS), has invited the graduates’ chairman, Carl Umegboro, to DSS office at Asokoro on Thursday, 20 April, 2017 at 10.00am.
Mohammed Bashiru, the DSS personnel who signed the letter, said the invitation was at the instance of the Director General, Lawal Musa Daura.
It explained that the DSS boss seeks alternative measures to address the contentious issues, noting that in most similar public protests in the past, miscreants and unscrupulous elements hijacked it and utilized the opportunity to attack innocent citizens and involved in sundry crimes.
DSS, however, commended the forum for maintaining peace and reaching out to the authorities ahead of the actions, saying it’s indicative of maturity and willingness to allow the matter to be gently resolved.
Reacting, Carl Umegboro, told DAILY POST that, “As a law-abiding citizen, I will honor the invitation as scheduled.”
“So far, our discussions have been cordial, and even if reverse is the case, I will still honor it.
“The Law Graduates Forum (LGF) has articulated 20 points and issues for consideration on the Law School crisis for presentation at the meeting.”
NOUN Law Graduates Forum had written to then Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on alleged failure to deliver judgment in their case against the Council of Legal Education (CLE).
They sought his intervention in the case challenging their non-admittance to the Law School.
LGF had sued at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, following CLE’s refusal to extend admission quotas to NOUN in the Law School despite the open university’s accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The law graduates alleged the case spent three years in court due to “unjustifiable delays and politically-motivated technicalities,” which it said were adopted to frustrate them.
They said the case was argued on December 7, 2016, after which Justice B.O. Quadiri fixed January 27, 2017, for judgment.
“As scheduled, on our arrival from all geographical zones as delegated 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 judge has been transferred to Abuja Division after fixing the judgment but without directives on the matter,” they lamented.
“We reject such vindictiveness and undue influences, and request that you (Osinbajo) use your good offices to see that the needful is timely done. “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 before it is too late”.
LGR said its members had gone through “agonising intimidations and frustrations by the CLE in conjunction with the judiciary as a whole over our rightful admission and training in the Law School, a facility solely-owned by the Federal Government.”
Comments