By Kay Bello.
First
and foremost, I must say a very big thank you all for your support so
far, because without you maybe not a single soul would have heard about
my illegal expulsion from the Nigerian Law School. All that had
happened clearly showed that we cannot rest on our oars. However, it is
quite shocking and shameful that the Nigerian Law School which everyone
should see as a beacon of light and hope for justice had degraded to an
arena of lies and deception.
Anyway, I would chronicle my response which dates to October 13,
2008, when I was released from detention over hike in school fees. I do
not want to bore us with details, but comments of those that knew about
it all would show that I was not part of the said protest of the October
13, 2008, but I was already detained at the Sango Police station, and
Iyaganku Police station subsequently when the protest broke out.
Today, the report the Nigerian Law School got from Prof. Oluyemisi
Bamgbose, the then Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan was
that I was involved in the disruption of peace and tranquility on
campus. Please, fellow alumni of the University of Ibadan, who witnessed
the 2008 protest on hike in school feesduring Professor Olufemi
Bamiro’s regime as the Vice Chancellor of theUniversity of Ibadan, was I
in the protest then? I allow those University of Ibadan graduates to be
my witnesses. To answer that, if allowed, I was detained for three days
without knowing the offence I committed.
One witness whom I withhold his name later
inboxed me that I
did not even distribute flyers as alleged by the authorities of the
University of Ibadan. Moreover, I love to state that at no time did the
authorities of the Nigerian Law School wanted to admit me into the
Nigerian law school. The case of my unlawful denial of admission to the
Nigerian Law School was reported by me to the Public Complaints
Commission that stated that I could only reapply to the Nigerian Law
School in 2016 admission period.
One of the statements by the Nigerian Law School that caught my
attention was , ‘’ the Dean’s confidential report showed that he defied
the authorities of the University and continued his programme without
serving out the rustication period. It was when his defiance was
discovered that he was forced to comply.’’ I think the Nigerian Law
School knows what I don’t know of. In the University of Ibadan I know
of, immediately the panel or committee rusticates or expels a student,
you have to obey, and the Vice Chancellor would direct that the security
operatives follow you to pack your belongings from the hostel. Maybe
when we get to Court, the Nigerian Law School would provide when I was
forced to comply with rustication.
‘’After his studentship was reinstated, he was unrepentant as the
report indicated his involvement in a case of gross misconduct
(insurbodination), which made the Board of the Faculty of Law to
recommend him for further disciplinary action’’: with due respect to
those who want us to be fit and proper, this statement is not complete
and correct being that when I was recommended for the disciplinary
action, what happened? The Dean, Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose that wrote
you did not tell what happened as she and one
Dr. Akintayo John of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan were
hell bent on expelling me from the University of Ibadan. The Faculty of
Law, University of Ibadan pasted on its board for information, a
summermulti-lateral international programme in Geneva, Switzerland in
June, 2012,
I applied and I was admitted, but I needed fund, then I applied for
grant to the then Vice Chancellor, Professor Adewole Isaac, the
incumbent Health Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but Dr.
Akintayo John, the Acting Dean, stood against it, and said because a
year before, in 2011 a colleague and now a lawyer, Mr. John Bamgbose
in-law to the then Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, and
myself benefitted from the University of Ibadan because we presented a
paper on Climate Change at a conference in the United kingdom, among
other reasons he gave in writing to malign the approving authority. We
represented our University and our dear country, Nigeria.
But because that time around the in-law to the then Dean, Prof.
Oluyemisi Bamgbose was not involved it was a sin for me to apply for
scholarship or grant from the University of Ibadan, so I opined. Dr.
Akintayo later reported me to the then Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof.
Oluyemisi Bamgbose, when she came back that I was rude to him, and that
I said he should act reasonably as to his discretion not to sign my
request to the approving authorities. The matter was reported to the
then Vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan who waded into the
matter, and asked the Faculty of Law to drop any allegation against me,
having petitioned him especially via the facebook.
A copy of my reply to Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose to act quickly that I
would miss the programme if she did not sign my introduction letter to
the Swiss Embassy was sent to the then Minister of Education and she
wrote me that she received it. It took the intervention of the then Vice
chancellor that I eventually went for the Swiss programme in the
Switzerland representing my University and country, Nigeria, at the Kofi
Annan’s once-attended institution, Geneva, Switzerland, christened
Graduate Institute.
I thought all was over at a time as the then Dean of the Faculty of
Law reconstituted another panel to go against the decision of the vice
chancellor then, Prof. Adewole Isaac, but all were in futility. The then
Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose waited for me
at the time to be mobilized for the Nigerian Law School, as I later got
to know through the Public Complaints Commission that an adverse report
wasmade against me by the then Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Oluyemisi
Bamgbose.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Law School gave me admission in 2012 but was withdrawn from its website without any reason.
It took longer period before Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose could process my
admission and result to the Nigerian Law School, but at that time I
called the attention of the Nigerian Law School to an anomaly that they
admitted two students, one Opadare and another Chuckwuemeka without
complete results from the University of Ibadan, which the authorities of
the University of Ibadan and the Nigerian Law School swept it under the
carpet till today, and that my admission was been delayed
unnecessarily. Rather they ganged up against me, and delayed my
admission to the Nigerian Law School for four years.
But in 2014, after I pursued the Law school admission from 2012 to
2013 through the Public Complaints commission, I left the country to
volunteer in the Philippines for the typhoon Yolanda victims with an
America-based organization, called the All Hands Volunteers (
Hands.org). In the Philippines, I narrated my ordeals to the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and sought asylum which
partially gave me the opportunity to start my Master’s programme in
Public Administration (in view).
In 2015, when a new government was sworn in promising to fight
corruption,and ensure good governance, I asked the Philippines
asylum/refugee .authorities to allow me go to Nigeria to pursue my
Nigerian Law School case, which was accepted. I was in Nigeria in 2015
and I went to the Public Complaints Commission for my somewhat abandoned
case. Noteworthy is the fact that in the Nigerian Law School’s response
to the Public Complaints Commission, they stated that I would be
communicated once the Council of Legal Education was done with my
referred case. I love to state that the Nigerian Law School or the
Council of legal Education never communicated me, but I went with a
lawyer to thePublic Complaints Commission for the outcome of my somewhat
abandoned case since 2013 I petitioned.
Hurriedly, the Public Complaints Commission scribbled something in a
document calling it outcome of its investigation that I should reapply
in 2016, which I did, but I further contested the decision of the Public
Complaints Commission at the National Human Rights Commission, but the
Human Rights Commission stated that it could not entertain my case
because the Public Complaints Commission had decided my case. Along the
line, I contacted Bamidele Aturu , of Blessed memory, before travelling
out who later demanded that I pay filing fee to sue the Council of Legal
Education, but that time I was even living from hand to mouth. Dr.
Tahiru Mamman was the Director General of the Nigerian law School then. I
already deposed to an affidavit to sue the Council of Legal Education
at theFederal High Court in Lagos but to be filed in Abuja being the
place of business of the Council of Legal Education.
I left the country in that 2015, when I saw the Nigerian Law School
would not be possible that particular year again. I went back to the
Philippines continuing my Master’s programme under the asylum programme.
I told them in the Philippines that the travail and the victimization
still continued somewhat, yet unresolved because I still wanted to sue
the Council of Legal Education and possibly others then, while others
advised that I should not, and but wait for the 2016 admission period.
At a time, I petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Agency over the
denial of my law school admission, but yet to receive any response from
them.
In June 2016, I was in the Philippines when a friend and confidant
messaged me that the authorities of the Faculty of Law, University of
Ibadan needed my result and other documents for Law School admission. At
first, I said that all the Faculty of law needed for my admission
should be with them especially in terms of when I graduated and whether I
had graduated or not. I discovered that my statement of result duly
signed by the Exams Officer in the University was doubted, and I was
asked by the person helping me in Nigeria to apply to send more
documents, I did and I even sent copy of letter sent to the Solicitors’
Regulatory Authorities (SRA) in the United Kingdom that I am a graduate
of the University of Ibadan that the University was processing my
certificate.
Fellow Nigerians, I must tell that the incumbent Health Minister, Prof.
Adewole Isaac did not release my certificate, and I was even referred to
as a student of the University of Ibadan even after I became a
graduate. For years, the University of Ibadan kept removing my name, up
till now, from the Convocation Book without any reason because I wrote
about sufferings of the students on campus in theUniversity of Ibadan
when a no-cooking policy was declared by the then Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Adewole Isaac, of which it became one of the issues the students of the
University of Ibadan agitated for that led to suspension of academic
activities and Students’ Union by Prof. Abel Olayinka, the incumbent
Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Eventually, I forwarded relevant documents to the Faculty of Law
authorities, then I was told that my name and documents had been
forwarded to the Nigerian Law School for admission purpose. I came to
Nigeria again in October, 2016 after taking leave of absence from my
graduate school in the Philippines. But before I left, I discovered
another anomaly that name was omitted from the Registration list on the
portal of the Nigerian law school. I was advised to go to Abuja to
pursue the admission, I got toAbuja law school campus with a just one
shirt and a pair of trousers thinking it was something I could resolve
soonest but I had to return to Ibadan to pack all my load to return to
Abuja, else they would deny me admission again.
Lest I forget, when I first got to the Nigerian Law School, they
denied they received any document for my admission from the University
of Ibadan, but I quickly showed them the decision of the Public
Complaints Commission on my case, then they had no choice but to comply.
A letter I wrote to Mr. Lanre Onadeko (SAN) on November 09, 2016 on the
anomaly on my admission was never replied up till date, but it was
rectified after writing the head of the Information and Communication
Unit (ICT), Mr Omoyele, and copying the Secretary to Council of Legal
Educationbefore it was rectified, during session, not before the
academic session. I must state that the Nigerian Law School and Council
of Legal Education never gave me fair hearing when it received report
against me from prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose.
I eventually started admission, and the Council’s communication to me
on my admission was given in February 2017 after repeated requests, way
long after resumption, for the resumption was in November, 2016,
meaning the Council of Legal Education never communicated me on its
decision on my law school admission before admission exercise, whereas
the Council’s decision had been given since June, 2014. I got to know I
would reapply through the Public Complaints Commission in 2015. What was
contained in the letter to me by the Council of Legal Education was
that I was given a benefit of doubt not ‘’a letter of warning’’ as
stated in the law school ‘s statement against me.
I challenge the Nigerian Law school to bring out the polo shirt and
inscriptions accused of. As reported by the Punch Newspaper of Monday
24, 2017, a representative of the University said the Students’
Representative Council (SRC) regretted issuing a disclaimer against me.
The Nigerian Law School should prove that I had estranged relationship
with my colleagues. It is trite that he who asserts or alleges must
prove.
The Nigerian Law School or Council of Legal Educaton should provide
the iron rod, and necessary convincing evidence to substantiate their
allegations. On the issue of letter from the law firm I was, it might
interest anyone that for record purpose I have forwarded a voice
transcript of how, theperson I complained against at the Equity Law
partners, where I was posted, to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
headquarters, she dealt with me insulting me and degradingly.
The Principal Partner, Prof. Akper Peter (SAN) and Managing Partner,
Mr. Shankyalu Tersoo were not around at times so the person who signs my
log book one day flared up that she would not sign it again, without
justifiable reasons. Thus, based on the information on the log book of
the Nigerian Law School for attachment, it was written that whenever we
have challenges where posted we can report to the NBA chairman or the
Nigerian law school for reposting which I did complain to the NBA
headquarters. The Nigerian Bar Association headquarters intervened and
the vice chairman NBA Abuja Branch, Mr. Oyefeso Tunde was contacted.
I finished the remaining part of my externship with him. My sin was
that I reported the partner at the Equity law partners to the NBA when
the partner threatened or said she could not sign my log book again
which she earlier signed. I reported the issue to a Senior partner at
the law firm because the managing partner was not around, and the
principal partner was not around too. When I saw that the matter could
not be resolved as I was told that the person that threatened not to
sign my log book was directly employed by the Principal partner, Peter
Akper, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and that the principal partner
told me that the Nigerian Law School had already told them that I was a
troublesome person but I said all he must have been told were to defame
me as they have always been doing.
Moreover, it is quite sad that the Nigerian law school or the Council
of legal education would include a one-sided report against me, without
first hearing from me as the externship reports are two sides: one
report from the externship employer and the other from me as an
intern/extern, then a fair hearing should be given, by comparing both
reports. It shows clearly that the Nigerian law school under the
directorship of Mr. Lanre Onadeko (SAN), or the Council of Legal
Education is indeed biased against me.
Needless for me to respond again to the seat reservation and facility
issues since these have been thrashed out in various media, except
there is new development worthy of response.
Published on www.lawyard.ng on July 27, 2017.