I write with pain and regret for having kogi state as my state of origin while applying for Nigerian Law School admission. Worst of my life experience, is being a law school student and a lawyer during the reign of this present political administration led by His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
As highlight into the real issues of “Kogi State Law School Students’ bursary allowance”, I will like to state some facts that happened before and after my professional journey at the Nigerian Law School:
- The Nigerian Law School fee is approximately 300,000 naira
- 80% of Kogi State Law School Students have their parents as Civil Servants in Kogi State
- Civil servants in Kogi State today are not paid regularly neither are they paid up to 300,000naira quarterly
- Most Kogi State intending students of the Nigerian Law School take loan to pay for their school fees with the hope of refund from the bursary allowance annually paid by Kogi State Government.
- Most of the loan beneficiaries are still battling to pay back even as I write.
- And Kogi state Government has repeatedly paid deaf ears to our cries
For the records, specifically the 22nd day of June, 2016, the National Association of Kogi State law Students of Nigeria (NAKOLSON) led by the then president met with a representative of Kogi state Government, and issues relating to the disbursement of the benefits were discussed and assurances were made by the representative. The shocker is that all the assurances have now become “a child’s word of less or no integrity”.
Again, advances to this respect was made when the spokesperson of the umbrella Association Victor Otori put a call to the person in charge of the mobilization of the law school bursary project, but instead he (the person in charge) berated the Association spokesperson for putting through such a call because of his high post in Kogi State Government. I thought to myself, does holding a political post makes a person immune from phone calls? Worthy of fun is that this pathetic” high placed person” is from the same kindred as the spokesperson of the students’ Association.
The above situations are just a pick from so many insults that have been hulled at us by the present administration for demanding what is traditionally ours.
We thought we should just give up and hope on God especially for those of us still at the mercy of the loan givers, but the worst happened when after passing the law school exams, we were to get the necessary kits for the call to bar ceremony and there was no fund. In order to persuade the Kogi State Government, we shamelessly used one of our own who made a first class grade at the Nigerian Law School to convince them on why we should be encouraged. As usual, promises were made, but today, many of us are still biting fingers to get stable from the many debt owed.
Now, we are lawyers, but there is no fund to start up our lives. In fact, we have practically turned beggars while seeking to get an accommodation (you can now see the reason I am in pain for being a lawyer during the reign of this administration). If we continue like this, how can we be proud of our dear state which is being destroyed by greedy politicians?
I wept while in Akwa-Ibom trying to get a transport fare back to Kogi State when I heard that a Governor has just disbursed 10,000 naira to National Youth Corp members who camped in Kogi State. That figure actually amount to a gross sum of 21million naira. Do you know law school bursary could be paid out of that? What is even the ultimate goal of disbursing such an amount to Corp members who may never come back to the State by reason of redeployment?
Some of the beneficiaries of the 10,000 naira even laughed at the Government’s ‘dream benevolence,’ when they frankly stated that the Governor is only trying to draw public sympathy to his pathetic administration. I shamefully left the scene of the conversation upon hearing that. Oh what a government!
Conclusively, posterity should never fail to make this greedy elites account for their deeds because that’s the only consolation I have now. And I hope the government will pick a challenge from this write up and not pick a fight. Anyway, if a fight is picked, I hope the populace will remember who was at fault…
– Otori Victor Ozovehe, 07063406146 (SMS/Text Only)
