By Law & Society Magazine
On the occasion of his 60th birthday on 11 July 2021, he launched the “Nigeria Law School Support Initiative,” drawing the attention of friends and stakeholders to the dire infrastructural state of the Nigerian Law School (NLS) campuses. Making a passionate appeal on that day, Chief Emeka Ngige, (SAN) Chairman Council of Legal Education noted:
“The best facility we had was the Lagos campus which was set up in 1963. They were in Igbosere but later moved to Victoria Island. Most of the structures were built at the end of the civil war. The auditorium was built when we were about to be called to bar in 1985. Then they moved to Abuja and inherited a Centre for Democratic Studies facilities in Bwari. The buildings are in terrible shape today… Till date Abuja and Enugu are yet to equip their medical centres because they don’t have the funds to buy the equipment…The medical centres which were built around 2009 or 2008 are grossly inadequate for the growing students’ population…”
Today, the highly driven Emeka Ngige, who has just been reappointed for another four-year tenure at Nigeria’s Council of Legal Education has numerous success stories to share.
His biggest birthday gift was delivered on his 61st anniversary, 11 July 2022 by former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who completed and commissioned the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt on that day. The campus known as The Impresionante, (Spanish for an impressive sight, beauty) of legal education in Nigeria, has about 15 buildings including 1500 capacity classrooms block with lifts, hostel blocks for 1,638 students (3 students per room), a moot court, a sickbay, administrative block, 1500 capacity multipurpose hall, sports facilities, library, cafeteria, internal roads, street lights, 40,000 gallons tank dedicated fire station, three power generators of 1000kva each, and 2.5mva substation and many more.
After receiving the title documents, Ngige said: “On July 21, 2021, when we came for foundation laying, His Excellency promised this project will be delivered in one year. Behold, today is June 27, 2022, not up to July yet and he had delivered… When I learnt that he had acquired adjoining property, houses, shopping malls, and other business facilities for the Law School to rent out to raise revenue to run this institution I was amazed. I can tell you it is unparalleled.”
Aside from clearing the backlog of over 10,000 students and resolving the longstanding logjam on admission of National Open University (NOUN) law graduates to the Nigerian Law School by organising a special remedial course for the graduates preparatory to their admission into the Bar Finals programme, the prominent Bar leader and leading litigator spearheaded a revision of the school’s curriculum and attracted several infrastructural facilities to the school through his ambitious Nigerian Law School Support Initiative.
With the active collaboration of the Isa Hayatu Chiroma-led Nigerian Law School administration, the council, supervised six Bar Final examinations and engaged in an unprecedented rehabilitation of the decayed school infrastructure.
In collaboration with the school administration, the council built two medical centres at Abuja and Enugu campuses, commissioned a Moot Court built by the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986, had several staff quarters rehabilitated by the Enugu State Government, installed CCTV cameras in the examination halls at Abuja Headquarters, commenced digitisation of Nigerian Law School files and documents to enhance speedy issuance of transcripts; while the Rivers State Government constructed two hostels and a multi-purpose hall at the Yenagoa Campus.
The council also approved the accreditation reports for law programmes in 37 universities and reviewed upwards the grading system for Bar Finals. Again, the council overhauled its corporate governance regime, enforced disciplinary provisions in the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc) Act, and reviewed the Code of Conduct for the students.
Commending the Senior Advocate on his reappointment, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) said it “is a testament of his commendable service whilst being in the saddle in the past four years from 2019-2023.”
As a Youth Corps member in 1986, Ngige was a prosecutor for the Nigerian Police Force, State CID, Akure, Ondo State. Between 1995 and 1999 he was also a prosecutor at the Failed Bank Tribunals in Enugu and Lagos. Today with offices in Abuja, Lagos, and a correspondence office in Awka, Chief Emeka Ngige, Notary Public, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chairman Council of Legal Education, Member Body of Benchers, Non-Executive Director-Air Peace Ltd, Member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee has left his imprint on the annals of legal profession in Nigeria.
Tutored under the watchful eyes of Chief G.N. Uwechue, SAN, Principal Partner G.N. Uwechue & Co, Barristers & Solicitors & Notaries Public in 1986, he honed his legal skills and eventually struck out to commence solo practice after 5 years of tutelage. And long before Chief Gani Fawhinmi, SAN introduced Index to his law reports, Ngige would photocopy the covers of each part of Nigerian Weekly Law Reports and keep them in a file. He only needed to look up any topic he was researching to get the relevant authorities.
Driven by an unwavering spirit, Chief Ngige determined long ago to make a mark in his chosen profession. That he has done and much more.
