Ilawe Ekiti Community Faults NBA On Law School As Monarch Celebrates 10th Coronation

By Ayodele Oni

Ilawe community in Ekiti State has taken up the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) over its criticism on the citing of a campus of the Nigeria Law School in the community.

The NBA had risen against the approval of new Law School Campuses by the Senate in some towns including Ilawe Ekiti.

The law school campus had generated controversy as another town, Ifaki, also in Ekiti State, laid claim to it while Ilawe insisted that its location is at the community.

Representative of Ilawe Ekiti who briefed the media on Thursday on the tenth year coronation of the Monarch faulted the claim by the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), comparing the establishment of some Law School campuses to distribution of constituency projects by politicians.

The Spokesman,  Capt Kunle Layiwola, pointed out that NBA lacks power to stop the federal government from exercising its powers to establish the campuses, where the town benefited, saying NBA’s warning to the lawmakers not to turn the school to constituency project, was a mere expression of opinion.

“Law School issue has been thoroughly discussed. Campuses have been coming up before now, so what the NBA said was a mere academic exercise.

“It is the government that has power to establish Law Schools. The Senate had passed the bill creating more campuses. The House of Representatives will soon pass same.

“We appeared before the Senate Committee on Judiciary to defend our position and nothing has changed as we speak, it will be sited here.

“In UK and US, there are so many law school campuses. Over 5,000 students graduated as Law students and could not be enrolled in Law School for lack of space. If the Senate Committee on Judiciary could find it expedient to establish more campuses, so be it.”

The community announced that a modern  plantain processing factory, to be established through self help was in the offing.

In order to achieve this dream, the community has decided to raise N300 million fund at a special ceremony designed to commemorate the tenth coronation  anniversary of the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Ajibade Alabi.

Capt Layiwola explained that the fund would be raised through notable natives of the town as well as friends and well wishers.

During the tenth years coronation anniversary, Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi would be conferred with the honourary chieftaincy title of Akorewolu of Ilawe Ekiti , while nine others would become honorary chiefs of the town.

He added that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human Rights Activist, Mr. Femi Falana and six other prominent indigenes will be bestowed with honorary awards, for their contributions to the town.

“We are celebrating this monarch because he was the first Alawe to be Chairman of Ekiti State Traditional Council. It was under his reign that the federal government plans to establish a Law school here in Ilawe.

“He has also made Ilawe a cynosure of attraction to investors, facilitated the establishment of a model girls school, High and Magistrate Courts and well equipped hospital. All these happened within 10 years of his reign.”