Why FG sacked law school DG, 6 others

ABUJA—The Council of Legal Education, Tuesday, adduced reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan, sacked the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr Tahir Mamman and his six deputies.

The Council which made the disclosure on a day it declared all the law faculties operated by the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, illegal, maintained that the tenure of the sacked law school officials had since elapsed.

It will be recalled that Dr Mamman was reportedly sacked by President Jonathan sequel to the recommendation of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN.

Others affected by the recommendation included the Deputy-Directors of the six law schools in the country located in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Yenagoa and Yola.

Meanwhile, the DG who had already spent five years in office contrary to his four year contract has been permitted to retain his position till December.

Addressing newsmen after a meeting with members of the Council and the embattled DG of the Law School, Mamman, had with the AGF , yesterday, Chairman of the Council and former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief O.C.J Okocha, SAN, harped on the need for an urgent amendment of the existing law governing the administration of the Law School which he said made no clear-cut provision for tenure of the School’s DG.

He decried that hitherto, the tenure of both the DG and his deputies were fixed through policy direction of the Council, saying, “we felt in this present Council that it was not a tidy arrangement. Some have been in the position since 11 years ago and some have been there for longer than necessary.

“As you all may be aware, the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Law School were duly established pursuant to the provisions of the Legal Education Act, No 12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1962. The said Act has since undergone several amendments, the last of which emanated the Legal Education (Consolidation, Etc) Act, Cap. L10, which is the current existing law on the provisions relating to the composition of the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Law School.

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