Moving Law School to Abuja
Nubi Achebo
Category: Editorial
Date of Article: 01/23/98
Topic: Moving Law School to Abuja
Author: Fred Onyeoziri
Full Text of Article:
Public policies should aim at one of two objectives. Either they
should seek to improve the condition of the nation-state or they
should aim to improve the welfare of the citizens. Of course they can
also serve both objectives. But in either case, the political
community for whom the nation - state exists is entitled to expect
from policy makers the justification for their policies. And even when
service to the nation - state is the objective of a given policy, the
implementation of such a policy should be done in a manner that
minimises costs and inconvenience to the citizens. Otherwise the state
or government will jeopardise its obligation to the welfare of the
citizens.
The decision of the present administration to move the Law school to
Abuja without enough facilities to accommodate all who are qualified
for admission into the school this year betrays this government's
insensitivity to the finer points of governance. And although the fine
points of governance seem too much of a luxury in our kind of
authoritarian political order, yet we must continue to cry out against
the human cost of government's actions or policies.
Perhaps the decision to relocate the federal capital from Lagos to
Abuja also involves moving the Law school to Abuja. But even then, it
has never been explained to our public why this should be so. After
all, the Nigerian Law school has become a national institution, and
one property of such national institutions is that they have acquired
a personality beyond any individual government because the general
public outside of government has come to invest interests and emotions
in them. Therefore, decisions about such institutions cannot be a
routine government decision.
But even then, the issue is not the decision to move the Law school to
Abuja per se; the issue is why move to Abuja before the facilities to
accommodate all who should be there are ready. The needless human
costs of this manner of precipitate implementation of the movement
policy are avoidable!
Clearly, there are less costly options.One such option is to delay the
movement until enough facilities are established in Bwari to
accommodate all who qualify for admission. It remains unclear to me
what the nation will lose by waiting for an extra year or two for the
facilities to be ready. And the government has enough resources to
mobilise to get Bwari fully ready within a short time. This government
has spent more, with frightening speed, on less worthy projects!
But if the government must move now, then it has the second option of
making it a phased movement. The first 1,500 students that can be
accommodated in Bwari move now to Abuja, while the rest continue their
programme in Lagos. Overtime, the Bwari campus will continue to
increase as more facilities are made available until such a time when
there is enough space for all the students at Abuja. Then, at that
point, the Lagos campus will finally fold up. And again the government
has enough resources to make this phased movement as short as possible
by speedily building up Bwari.
If it becomes necessary during the phased movement, the law school
lecturers can be commuting between Lagos and Abuja to give their
lectures at either location. A government that supports public
officers in its establishments to move to Abuja and back to Lagos the
same week can also support the Law school lecturers to move to Abuja
to teach and back again in Lagos to teach within the same week.
Perhaps this is not an ideal solution but it is tolerable as a
temporary arrangement during the transition period.
But the decision of the government is imposing avoidable costs on the
affected students. First, the decision is denying thousands of
students who are ready and qualified to go into the Law school access
to the school. This delay, even if it is for one year, can completely
alter the fortunes of some of the affected students. Second, the
decision is forcing all those who are left out from the first batch of
1,500 to become professional juniors to their colleagues. They cannot
be called to the bar the same year with the favoured 1,500. The
carefully worked out plans of some of these students is thus brutally
disrupted. Three, the process of choosing the first batch of 1,500
will expose the law graduates of the class of '97 to all manner of
discrimination. Such discrimination undermines citizens' faith in the
fairness of the system and patriotism for the nation state. The rumour
that the timing of the decision to move to Abuja was made to favour
some highly privileged students whose security in Lagos cannot be
taken for granted makes the decision less morally defensible. Such a
personalisation of public policy deserves the strongest condemnation
by all because of the cost it imposes on other citizens whose
interests are no less entitled to protection.
The decision to move the Law school to Abuja should be a major
decision deserving of very careful consideration. It cannot be made
precipitately without due regard to its full implication for all who
would be affected by the decision. There is reason to believe that
this decision to move to Abuja at this time with grossly inadequate
facilities in place has not been the product of careful consideration.
And this is one more reason why this country should hasten to rid
herself of military authoritarianism. It is part of the character of
authoritarian regimes that they operate with little regard for the
welfare, interest and feelings of their citizens. Whereas democratic
governments strain themselves to minimise the cost of policies to
their citizens, authoritarian regimes could not be bothered with such
luxury as worrying about the inconvenience their policies cause their
citizens. But the whole notion of the state's obligation to public
welfare enjoins the state not only to directly pursue public welfare
but also to protect that welfare indirectly by minimising costs and
inconvenience to the public. I am sure that if concern for public
welfare was the important preoccupation of this government, its
implementation of the movement to Abuja would have been different.
_________________________________________________________
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Adesoji Adelaja
The planners in Nigeria are bold and visionary. Obviously, they know
that as more and more infrastructure is moved up north, more southerners
will follow. Maybe then, we will have a true integration of Nigeria. I
can see Martin Luther King's dream come true in Nigeria. More and more
Yoruba and Ibo boys seen holding hands with Fulani and Hausa girls on
the streets of Abuja, Katsina, Sokoto and Kano. Cultural dilution.
Progress for all. Intermarriages. Cultural assimmilation. Perhaps an Ibo
descendant will one day be the Emir of Kano or the Sardauna. Boy,
wouldn't it be great. While we are moving everything up north, we might
as well move the culture and tradition of the south. That will complete
the cycle.
I am assuming that this up-north frenzy is to assist the development of
the north and that that will lead to a better Nigeria. Many of us can
not wait for the exodus up north. People will follow the action. Why
do you think Lagos has been overpopulated for decades.
Pardon the vision running amock. I am simply trying to look on the
bright side.
Soji
Abba
Dear Soji,
Looking on the "bright sides" of things is always
a bright idea. It seems the Chinese New Year--starting
from today---has plenty in store for the government-sceptics.
The "looking on the bright side" is one of the many pleasant
surprises to come from the Abatcha-bashing industry/camp this year.
We look forward to the "Year of the Tiger" with great anticipation.
Let's join the over 1 billion jubilant Chinese people worldwide to pray for a
lasting
peace, stability, prosperity and democracy in our country. Let's, like the
Chinese,
join forces to BUILD (and defend) our country.
Best wishes,
Abba
PS : One of the many reasons why the great city of Kano remain a major
regional
(African) commercial hub is the wonderful "cultural dilution" it
enjoys.
People from ALL walks of life--not just within Nigeria---
live in harmony with each other thereby contributing to the cultural
diversity of the
city. Like in most other places, there were a few unfortunate cases
of unrests
(mainly instigated by ignorant people). But we have Moved on.
Everyone is
welcomed....except the Yoruba and Igbo boys who wishes to "hold
hands with"
with our proud and respected daughters/sisters. Needless to say we
adhere
strictly to our cultural, moral and religious teachings. I am sure
most Igbo and Yoruba
boys do also.
The "hand holding" types must stay away. Lagos is probably their
best bet.
----------
> From: Adesoji Adelaja <aade...@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>
> To: NAIJA...@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Moving Law School to Abuja
> Date: Wednesday, January 28, 1998 7:44 AM
Tessy Malu
Dear Ayuse,
This browbeating and fingerbiting is of no help to anyone. The fact that somone refers
to you as a foreigner does not imply that he feels superior to you. Albeit, your
experience abroad and an ardent desire to belong to an ambient that is not yours
may have the tendency of creating the phobia, that your being referred to as a foreigner
makes you an outcast. Dear Ayuse,
Nigeria presents a pluralistic ambient in all its ramifications - food, clothing,
soil, climate, language inter alia. Let's call a spade a spade for now. Since 1914,
we have been glued together, albeit unsuccessfuly. The diversity that we harbour,
apparently repels us rather than providing an attracting force. The Laws of physical
science are inoperative and inapplicable in Africa, and cannot be elsewhere when
they resort to Nature. We are different peoples in Nigeria. An attempt to realise
that during the Nigerian Civil War proved abortive. The Igbos may be more accomodative
to other ethnic groups in Nigeria, but how do they fare with the strong divide in
the former East Central State. The presentiment amongst the Yorubas and other Southern
groups may slightly tend towards that direction. Let's pray for a more purposeful
Nigeria where there is peace and harmony with bread in quantity and quality on our
tables. What you may refer as integration may never be realised in Nigeria. Segregation
and discrimination will continue to prevail. What one should ask for should be tolerance.
You don't have to love me to collaborate in business, education, health, politics,
governance inter alia. The love of my Family suffices. We can work together to move
the Nigerian nation forward in an altruistic manner if the proper environment is
created via our media, educational institutions, market places, churches, mosques,
buses, etc.
Tessy
-------------
>You might be right only if the northerners themselves allow the so called
>integration to take place. The northern elites do not see themselves as
>Nigerian, they are above the rest of us. Southerners are still refered to as
>foreigners in the north. Think about that.?
>
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