Have Faith in Nigeria’s Legal System, LASU VC Urges Nigerians

Nigerians have been urged to have faith in the nation’s legal system, though there is still room for improvement.

Making the plea at the public presentation of his book entitled: “Reflections on Dynamics of The Law” in Lagos”, on Thursday, the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo, noted that there was still room for improvement.

The event was organised by the Faculty of Law of the university.

According to him, law practice in Nigeria is in a phase at the moment and the thing we see is unusual.

“When you have a developing ecosystem in a particular area, there will always be room for development.

“When people tell me that they have lost hope in the legal practice in Nigeria, I always ask them why?

“The issues being raised about legal practice are something people are talking about on daily basis.

“Then, you see that a conspiracy of silence can be destructive, but when the issues come forth and people are talking, it is going to make a huge difference.

“For example, when people talk about Nigeria, some people go to the extent that Nigeria is doomed, but to me, Nigeria is not doomed in anyway.

“In our lifetime, Nigeria is part of the global system, rules and regulations of the international law are going on that will also be applicable to Nigeria,” Fagbohun said.

He said that a time would come when some countries we need to have critical relationships with would be telling us to amend our laws, without which they would not have deal with us.

“Those are the things that will compel Nigeria to sit down and do what is right, because we cannot operate in isolation,” the vice-chancellor said.

Commenting on technology, he said it would run Nigeria economy, no matter what a leader would say; otherwise we would not be able to do international monetary transaction.

He said Nigeria was laying emphasis on internet banking, “because the international communities are putting pressures; we do not have a choice than to key into this global relationship.

“We should key into it on terms that will work for us in the context of our own country,” he said.

Also speaking, Justice Kudirat Kere-Ekun of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, urged students to strive and emulate the good virtues of their vice-chancellor and his policies.

Kere-Ekun, who spoke as the Chairman of the occasion, said that within the 30 years of Fagbohun’s experience in law practice, he had achieved many things.

According to her, his profile has revealed him as a man of many parts.

“He has a reputation for excellence, leadership and commitment and with all these qualities he deserves to be honoured.

“I am also aware that LASU is a centre of excellence which shows that Fagbohun has an indelible impact on the writer of his book.

“I appeal to everybody not to leave this book on their shelf, but should rather read and digest it, which will help to know more about Nigerian law,’’ she said.

In his remarks, Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, LASU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), said that the university was building a technology-driven institution where almost everything would be done online.

Noah said that all these had been the vice-chancellor’s plans since he got to the mantle of leadership.

He said that one of his major visions was to make the university to be among the top 20 universities in Africa before 2027.

“In 2016, a fresh dawn came to Lagos State University, Ojo, which is the honoree of today, because he is full of peace, brotherliness, unity, growth and development,” he said.