Legal education “too weak” to meet modern standards, Council says

The standard of legal education is too weak and must be raised to meet modern needs, Dr. Abubakar Mahmud, Acting Chairman, Council for Legal Education, has said.

“The standard of legal education is too weak; we must collectively develop ideas that that would raise it. We must work together to transform the law institutions,” Mahmud said on Friday in Abuja.

Mahmud spoke at a ceremony to formally welcome the new Director-General (D-G) of the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, Prof. Isa Chiroma, to office.

He charged the new D-G to open new frontiers and initiate policies and ideas that would help the school to produce quality lawyers.

The council chairman expressed confidence in Chiroma’s capacity to deliver quality leadership, and promised that the council would support him to succeed in moving the school forward.

Mahmud said that Chiroma had always been part of the system and was therefore in good position to know areas requiring special attention, and assured him of the council’s support at all times.

He commended Dr. Olanrewaju Onadeku, the outgoing D-G for “doing a very good job”, saying that the council and the school’s new administration would always run to him because he was a “`good transformation strategist”.

In his remarks, Onadeku thanked the council and the school for the support he enjoyed while in service, and urged them to extend that kindness to his successor.

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Onadeku said that he would always be ready to offer his counsel anytime it was required, and advised the new management to feel free to approach him anytime.

Chiroma, in a brief speech, promised to initiate policies that would transform the institution and improve the quality of its products.

He thanked the Federal Government for appointing him to the position, and promised to ensure that every department of the school received the needed attention.

“It is not a small task, but I shall do all I can to secure infrastructure for every section and also ensure periodic training of staff.

“I will also run an open door policy that would make management accessible to all staff and students,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in October 2017, approved the appointment of Chiroma as new helmsman of the institution to replace Onadeku, who retired last month.

Until his appointment, Chiroma was the Deputy Director in charge of the Yola Campus of the Nigerian Law School.