On Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari praised Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for his support of the nation’s legal education.
Mr. Buhari gave the compliment at the opening of the Nigerian Law School’s Nabo Graham Douglas Campus in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, spoke on behalf of President Buhari and praised the new law school for its self-sustaining design.
The president stated that the project, along with a number of others, was undeniably proof of Mr. Wike’s dedication to the advancement of law and development in Rivers State and elsewhere.
I won’t need to use flowery language to describe the magnificent wonder that is being built today.
The icing on the cake, in his words, is that this building and its cutting-edge amenities were planned by a man of higher vision who is now affectionately known as Mr. Project to be self-sustaining through connected revenue sources.
Mr. Buhari claimed to be aware of Mr. Wike’s expansion of development efforts into the neighboring Bayelsa State through the implementation of multi-billion naira projects, including the construction of a hostel with 900 beds and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1500 at the Nigerian Law School’s Yenagoa Campus.
These are unmatched and innovative contributions from a state government to areas that often fall within the purview of the federal government.
Since Wike is a staunch supporter of true federalism in Nigeria, he stated, “Wike’s dedication to these programs is better understood.”
Wike-Buhari will be well-remembered in history
In the name of “the whole justice family and lovers of justice in Nigeria,” Mr. Buhari praised Mr. Wike’s noble character and statesmanship for his “unifying efforts and commitment to national unity.”
Indeed, greater efforts to bring the country together are needed. As a result, my administration disregarded political considerations to recognize brilliance by awarding Governor Wike the Nigerian Excellence Award in Public Service.
The honor was given to Mr. Wike in October for completing legacy infrastructure projects in Rivers State and elsewhere.
“You have really immortalized yourself,” the president told the governor of Rivers, “and history will be kind to you.”
In order to advance collaboration and understanding between the federal and state governments for the benefit of Nigerians overall and their welfare, President Buhari emphasized that the ceremony served as a platform for reminders.
Wike’s letter to Nigeria’s government
In his remarks, Governor Wike expressed his happiness at having completed the facility within 10 months of receiving permission to construct the state’s law campus.
According to Mr. Wike, the state government paid roughly N17 billion for the project, which was completed by local contractors who worked on each structure under close supervision.
He disclosed that President Buhari’s gracious approval of the payment and release of unpaid 13% derivation deductions to all states in the Niger Delta since 1999 was one of the reasons his administration had been able to start a number of projects.
The governor stressed that the Nabo Graham Douglas Campus should be the only location where the Rivers State Government’s financial assistance to the Nigerian Law School is used.
He argued that it would be unreasonable for the Rivers government to have invested so much in building the campus without having a state-only admissions cap.
Yakubu Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, described Mr. Wike as a true leader who had demonstrated excellence in administration and purposefully invested in the legal profession to help the people’s cause.
Issa Ciroma, the director general of the Nigerian Law School, praised Governor Wike for upholding his pledge to construct a completely new, self-supporting campus for the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt.
He promised that legal education activities will soon get underway at the campus, which would now serve as a model for anyone or any government looking to set up law campuses in the area.
George-Kelley Alabo, the Rivers Commissioner for Works, stated that after sand-filling the soil, the site was 21 meters high.
He claimed that 15 structures had been constructed, including a three-story classroom facility with 1,638 seats, a moot court, and a restaurant with seating for 700.
Over 1000 students can stay in five dormitories, which also include a library, a 1,500-seat theatre, and a backup power plant.
(NAN)
