A Human Rights lawyer, Dr. Ben Nwoye, has expressed worry over the poor quality of graduate lawyers churned out by contemporary Nigerian universities.
Nwoye blamed the development on parents and guardians who forces their children to choose courses they don’t have natural calling for.
Nwoye who Spoke when students of the Faculty of Law, Godfrey Okoye university (GO), Enugu, visited him at his Amuri country home during their 2019 Annual picnics held at the wildlife sanctuary Amuri, described the legal profession as a noble field which its practitioners shapes and design the society.
He noted that like most other professions in Nigeria, the legal field had continued to experience serious decline in standard due to the fact that most practitioners may have ventured into the profession by accident.”or, Some times parents forces their children to choose law course, probably because it is a prestigious discipline and they want to answer mother and father of Barrister, even when such son or daughter don’t have the natural calling to pursue such carrier.
READ ALSO: Editorial: Repositioning Anambra State Fire Service For Rapid Response
Nwoye, who is also the Enugu state chairman of the ruling All progressive Congress APC, however, advised Nigerian parents to always allow their children to choose courses of their choice, insisting that it is the only way they could excel in their various field of endeavour .
“Sometimes, you see in Nigeria, people Choose courses for their children, you don’t decide that you want to have a lawyer, allow the child to choose his own profession” he said.
Explaining why he has continued to partner with the law students of the Catholic owned University over the years, the APC chieftain, said there was need to encourage the upcoming lawyers.
According to him, “We have to give back to the society, we have to encourage our students, we have to encourage our upcoming lawyers, because you see today, we have so many lawyers but the truth is that we have very few good ones.
” Lawyers shape the society, you can’t see a better Nigeria without a better legal system so, we have to Catch them young and talk to them about their responsibilities. These people you see here today, will be great lawyers tomorrow, some of them are going to be SANs, some judges both at the lower, middle and supreme Court levels.
In his remarks, the Dean Faculty of Law Godfrey Okoye University Professor Gozie Ogbodo, who expressed appreciation to Dr. Nwoye for the warm reception, said the institution is determined towards changing the narratives of some of the challenges confronting the legal profession in Nigeria, including lawyers shying away from practicing their discipline, especially courts attendance .
According to him, as part of measures to tackle some of the challenges, as well as deepening the knowledge of its students in their chosen carriers, (Go) university has incorporated in its curriculum compulsory Court attachment for its students from 100 level to 500 level, so that every law student in our faculty will always be attached to a chamber , to a court from 100 level to 500 level”
Ogbodo added that: ” What we are doing differently in this young faculty of law, in the Godfrey Okoye University is that we have seen this challenge, we are very determined to adress it in the kind of legal training we are giving to our own students .
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.