Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, have called for the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Act 2021 (as amended) to incorporate the Nigeria Law School as one of its beneficiaries.
They made the advocacy yesterday in Abuja, where the AGF turned the sod for the construction of 10 sets of 4-bedroom bungalows for staff of the Nigeria Law School in the Bwari area council of Abuja.
The projects, sponsored by the FCT Administration, are inclusive of furnishings and other ancillary services, as well as landscaping.
The AGF noted that while the institution is not regarded as a university, it cannot be seen as just an ordinary institution.
“The Nigeria Law School is not a university, yet it is not an ordinary institution. However, if you look at the laws setting up TETFund, the law school is not included, and I think the time has come for Nigeria Law School to be regarded as a university that will benefit from the Fund,” he said.
Fagbemi urged privileged individuals to help the school, which he said has various campuses nationwide.
“The issue of accommodation is critical. If the staff do not know where they will sleep, it will affect their minds and the quality of the students they turn out,” he added.
While praising the FCT minister for his intervention projects for the Judiciary, the Body of Benchers, and the Nigerian Law School, even when governor of Rivers state, the Attorney General said the former governor does not pretend where he stands on issues.
“Whether or not you like him, you cannot dispute that he is a performer. He is one person where you know where he stands. He does not pretend.
“He is one person who also does not abandon projects. At the Federal Executive Council FEC meetings, he will always advocate that you don’t start a project if you don’t have the money to complete it. And he is a man of taste. Of quality,” he said.
While responding, Wike, who also donated three coaster buses and four Hilux vehicles to the law school, promised to include two hostel projects, male and female, for the law school in the FCT‘s 2025 budget.
He added that the staff accommodation project would be completed between eight and nine months.
“The federal government owns this school, and there is nothing wrong with the federal government trying to provide basic infrastructure to uplift the school.
“It is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and the President directed that he had heard of the decay in infrastructure and that we should provide the infrastructure,” he said.
On the law school not benefitting from the TETFund, Wike said, “Attorney General, I want to say it is getting too late for the amendment of the TETFund Act for the Nigeria Law School to be included for the funding.
This is a professional training school. So, we will give you all the necessary support that the TETFund should be amended so that the law school can benefit from it as a special intervention fund.
“If that happens, I am sure you will see that the difference will be clear. They will have money to provide infrastructure. If you go and check their budget, you will laugh.
Today, the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, who represented the chairman, said, look, they are willing to help the judiciary. According to him, he used the word, jerk.
He said they will jerk the budget up. I also want to send this message that they should help us jerk up that of the Nigerian Law School so that it can have adequate funding.“
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