* Nigerians condemn expulsion
The Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, has yet to explain why it
expelled its student, Kayode Bello, after protesting against seat
reservation in a lecture room.
The Secretary to the Council of Legal Education, Mrs. Elizabeth
Max-Uba, had promised that the school would release a statement on
the expulsion on Monday.
This is just as mixed reactions trailed the action of the
school.
While many people described the decision as repressive, others
blamed Bello for being aggressive.
TheNigerialawyer had reported on Monday that Bello came to the
notice of the authorities after he complained to Max-Uba about
leaking sewage pipe in the toilet of his hostel and non-functioning
of water system in the hostel rooms.
However, issues leading to his expulsion reportedly started from
his disagreement with a fellow female student, identified as
Chidima, over a seat the latter reserved for another student on
March 15, 2017.
The Head Marshal of the school, one Akinyemi, was said to have
intervened between the duo, asking Bello to forfeit the seat.
The 34-year-old graduate of University of Ibadan, Oyo State,
contested Akinyemi’s judgement on the grounds that the head marshal
had earlier warned against seat reservation in the overcrowded
class.
While Bello petitioned the secretary and Public Complaint
Commission on the matter, Akinyemi queried him.
Bello was accused of inciting students against the school and
was ejected from his hostel room, while the door to the apartment
and his bed were removed.
He was dragged from the library of the Nigerian Law School on
July 17, after he refused to sign his expulsion letter and detained
for hours at the Bwari Police Station, where his complaint against
his eviction was earlier reported without action.
An official of the Public Complaints Commission, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, had told our reporter that the school
had not replied to the commission’s enquiries on the case, adding
that a team of investigators visited the institution, but were
unable to meet with the management.
The source said the team would pay another visit on Wednesday
(today).
The Secretary to the Council of Legal Education, Max-Uba, had
promised that the school would release a statement on the expulsion
on Monday when contacted by our correspondent on Sunday for a
reaction.
As of 10pm on Tuesday, she had yet to send the reaction to an
email address our correspondent sent to her. Several calls put
across to her line were unanswered, and she didn’t reply to text
messages sent as a reminder.
Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media, including lawyers who
claimed to have graduated from the Nigerian Law School, have
condemned the decision of the school.
One Hilary Ogbonna, stated on Twitter that the act was
retrogressive and inhuman.
“In 2017, the #Nigerian Law School, which should be a beacon of
#humanrights is suppressing freedom and #humandignity. #Shame
@NigBarAssoc,” @HilaryOgbonna wrote.
A lawyer, Omoola, with a Twitter handle, @surdeeeq, accused the
school of being undemocratic, saying, “An institution which is
supposed to uphold rule of law cannot tolerate dissent from law
students.”
A poster on facebook , with an alias Buharism, corroborated
Bello’s allegation on the over-stretched facilities in the Nigerian
Law School.
He said, “…Students were treated worse than slaves. One is not
expected to complain or insist on one’s right. The school authority
called this slave-like condition as being ‘fit and proper.’
“I attended the Lagos campus of the school in 2009/2010. It took
almost two months before I could be allocated a room, in spite of
the fact that the hostel accommodation was paid with the school
fees. We only had access to the Internet about two weeks to
graduation, despite having been charged the sum of N30,000.00 for
same. Till date, the school refused to supply us with coursebooks
and other materials paid for. The electricity situation was
horrible and we dared not whimper, let alone complain. We were
desperate to be fit and proper!”
However, one Akin Olu, @akinzotweets, blamed Kayode for fighting
a right cause while using a wrong approach.
He tweeted, “I agree with being bold to tell your truth. What I
don’t agree with is why he alone is surrounded by notorious
precedents. Ah, abeg!”
Another Twitter user, @Seyi, aka Senior Man, said, “…Law school
invited you for hearing, you ignored them… you played yourself.
Your admission is a joke to you.”
Bello, who confirmed the invitation to our correspondent, said
he declined it because the Nigerian Law School and the secretary
neither acknowledged the receipt of his petitions nor replied to
it.
He said, “I told the Dean, Students’ Affairs, that there could
never be justice in that panel. The school evicted me from the
hostel that I paid N60,000 for. They brought policemen with a rifle
in the middle of the night to chase me out. They did not reply to
my petitions.
“What if I had appeared before the panel and they did something
more dangerous than evicting me? I even told them that anytime I
see any of them coming closer to me, I would see the person as an
attacker.”
* Nigerians condemn expulsion
The Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, has yet to explain why it
expelled its student, Kayode Bello, after protesting against seat
reservation in a lecture room.
The Secretary to the Council of Legal Education, Mrs. Elizabeth
Max-Uba, had promised that the school would release a statement on
the expulsion on Monday.
This is just as mixed reactions trailed the action of the
school.
While many people described the decision as repressive, others
blamed Bello for being aggressive.
TheNigerialawyer had reported on Monday that Bello came to the
notice of the authorities after he complained to Max-Uba about
leaking sewage pipe in the toilet of his hostel and non-functioning
of water system in the hostel rooms.
However, issues leading to his expulsion reportedly started from
his disagreement with a fellow female student, identified as
Chidima, over a seat the latter reserved for another student on
March 15, 2017.
The Head Marshal of the school, one Akinyemi, was said to have
intervened between the duo, asking Bello to forfeit the seat.
The 34-year-old graduate of University of Ibadan, Oyo State,
contested Akinyemi’s judgement on the grounds that the head marshal
had earlier warned against seat reservation in the overcrowded
class.
While Bello petitioned the secretary and Public Complaint
Commission on the matter, Akinyemi queried him.
Bello was accused of inciting students against the school and
was ejected from his hostel room, while the door to the apartment
and his bed were removed.
He was dragged from the library of the Nigerian Law School on
July 17, after he refused to sign his expulsion letter and detained
for hours at the Bwari Police Station, where his complaint against
his eviction was earlier reported without action.
An official of the Public Complaints Commission, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, had told our reporter that the school
had not replied to the commission’s enquiries on the case, adding
that a team of investigators visited the institution, but were
unable to meet with the management.
The source said the team would pay another visit on Wednesday
(today).
The Secretary to the Council of Legal Education, Max-Uba, had
promised that the school would release a statement on the expulsion
on Monday when contacted by our correspondent on Sunday for a
reaction.
As of 10pm on Tuesday, she had yet to send the reaction to an
email address our correspondent sent to her. Several calls put
across to her line were unanswered, and she didn’t reply to text
messages sent as a reminder.
Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media, including lawyers who
claimed to have graduated from the Nigerian Law School, have
condemned the decision of the school.
One Hilary Ogbonna, stated on Twitter that the act was
retrogressive and inhuman.
“In 2017, the #Nigerian Law School, which should be a beacon of
#humanrights is suppressing freedom and #humandignity. #Shame
@NigBarAssoc,” @HilaryOgbonna wrote.
A lawyer, Omoola, with a Twitter handle, @surdeeeq, accused the
school of being undemocratic, saying, “An institution which is
supposed to uphold rule of law cannot tolerate dissent from law
students.”
A poster on facebook , with an alias Buharism, corroborated
Bello’s allegation on the over-stretched facilities in the Nigerian
Law School.
He said, “…Students were treated worse than slaves. One is not
expected to complain or insist on one’s right. The school authority
called this slave-like condition as being ‘fit and proper.’
“I attended the Lagos campus of the school in 2009/2010. It took
almost two months before I could be allocated a room, in spite of
the fact that the hostel accommodation was paid with the school
fees. We only had access to the Internet about two weeks to
graduation, despite having been charged the sum of N30,000.00 for
same. Till date, the school refused to supply us with coursebooks
and other materials paid for. The electricity situation was
horrible and we dared not whimper, let alone complain. We were
desperate to be fit and proper!”
However, one Akin Olu, @akinzotweets, blamed Kayode for fighting
a right cause while using a wrong approach.
He tweeted, “I agree with being bold to tell your truth. What I
don’t agree with is why he alone is surrounded by notorious
precedents. Ah, abeg!”
Another Twitter user, @Seyi, aka Senior Man, said, “…Law school
invited you for hearing, you ignored them… you played yourself.
Your admission is a joke to you.”
Bello, who confirmed the invitation to our correspondent, said
he declined it because the Nigerian Law School and the secretary
neither acknowledged the receipt of his petitions nor replied to
it.
He said, “I told the Dean, Students’ Affairs, that there could
never be justice in that panel. The school evicted me from the
hostel that I paid N60,000 for. They brought policemen with a rifle
in the middle of the night to chase me out. They did not reply to
my petitions.
“What if I had appeared before the panel and they did something
more dangerous than evicting me? I even told them that anytime I
see any of them coming closer to me, I would see the person as an
attacker.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/kayode-bello-law-school-keeps-mum-over-expulsion-of-student/