The Council of Legal Education has
adjudged the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, the best in the
country, based on the cumulative performance of its products in the 2014
Bar Final Examinations of the Nigerian Law School.
The Council’s verdict was contained in
the Report of the Ad-Hoc Committee it set up to assess the performance
of students at the August 2014 Bar Final Examinations. The Ad-Hoc
Committee was headed by the Lagos State Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye.
Other members were Prof. J. A. M. Audi,
representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Prof. E. S.
Olarinde, Provost, College of Law, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti;
Dr. Y. M. Yusuf, the Dean of Law, University of Maiduguri; Mr. Emeka
Obegolu, representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Prof. M.
O. U. Gasiokwu, the Dean of Law, Delta State University, Abraka; Mr. S.
A. Osamolu, the Director/Head of Academic, Nigerian Law School; and Mrs.
M. M. Stanley-Idum, the Deputy Director (Academic), Nigerian Law
School.
According to the Committee's Report, a
copy of which was made available to Unilorin Bulletin, students from the
University of Ilorin Law Faculty beat products of other universities'
Law Faculties in the Bar Examinations. Other universities in the top
five category are the University of Lagos (2nd), the University of
Ibadan (3rd), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (4th) and the University
of Uyo/Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (5th).
In the 2012 and 2013 Bar Final
Examinations, the University of Ilorin consistently came second. And
apart from the University of Lagos that has closely run neck-to-neck
with Unilorin in the last three years, coming fifth in 2012, and third
in 2013, no other University appeared consistently on the Top 5 Table in
the three years under review.
For instance, Babcock University that
led the pack in 2012 has not returned to the Top 5 Table since then.
Likewise, the University of Ado-Ekiti that came first in 2013 is not
even listed among the top 5 in 2014.
The Report noted that while some
universities have consistently been in the bottom 5, the University of
Ilorin and the University of Lagos have consistently been in the top 5
in the last three years with Ilorin coming clearly ahead even in
consistency rating.
This Ad-Hoc Committee was set up in
response to growing worries over poor performance of Law students from
various Faculties of Law from different Nigerian Universities. It was
charged with the duty to review the result of the last Bar Final
Examination vis-a-vis the performance of different Law Faculties;
examine the teaching methods and facilities available for use at the
Nigerian Law School and identify reasons why some campuses perform
better than others; as well as examine the performance of students over
the past five years so as to make comparative analyses, among others.
In its findings, the Committee noted
that the “inability of various Faculties of Law to have uninterrupted
academic activities in a Semester as prescribed by the National
Universities Commission (NUC) for LL.B students contributed to declining
standards”. It added that “in a bid to meet the Nigerian Law School
calendar, some Faculties of Law abridged their programme to compensate
for incessant strike actions and other disruptions”.
Meanwhile, the Ag. Dean, Faculty of Law,
University of Ilorin, Dr. I. A. Yusuf, has described the achievement of
his Faculty as a “collective sense of fulfillment”, adding that this
achievement is a vindication of the dedication of the staff and students
of the Faculty and their common and collective determination to uphold
the vision of the University of Ilorin to become a Centre of
Excellence.”
Dr. Yusuf said, “This success would not
have been possible without the continuous support and attention our
Faculty always receives from the University management”.
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