Why Law Faculty Was Stoped in Lead City University By NUC

The Appeal Court judgment on Lead CityThe legal tussle between the Lead City University, Ibadan and the National Universities Commission arising from disagreement over accreditation of the former's Law programme has generated needless controversies and unwarranted acrimony. In the first place, why should a simple procedural matter be allowed to degenerate to a level where an operator and its regulator disagreed in the open? What was really the bone of contention over accreditation? Why should the issue of accreditation be taken to a court of law to resolve?

While I acknowledge the fact that the law courts serve as the final arbiter on issues that cannot be resolved amicably between or among parties and that individuals and legal entities have the constitutional cover to enforce their rights, it is however amusing that a university could approach the court directly or through a proxy (as in the present case) over an issue officials of the university could have resolved with the NUC.

The NUC had declared the Law programme of Lead City University illegal based on the allegation of deficiencies in the process and promptly asked the authorities of the school to suspend the programme and follow due process in order to obtain accreditation. But, surprisingly, Lead City resorted to mudslinging and, at a point, accused the Executive Secretary of the NUC of having vested interests. Then, a Law graduate of the university, Segun Alli, sued the NUC for invalidating the programme and denying students the opportunity to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.

Perhaps, the First Class Law graduate of the school should be told that the power to approve and accredit courses in the country's universities is vested in the NUC, who working with relevant professional bodies, such as the Council for Legal Education, assesses courses and gives accreditation accordingly. While the process is not without its hiccups, it still remains the best instrument of ascertaining and enforcing standards. One wonders why the management of the Lead City University chose the option of going to court (through one of its students) instead of taking the necessary steps to get its Law programme accredited.

While the judgment of the lower court which went in favour of the university was bewildering, the recent unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, setting aside that of the lower court and declaring the university's Law programme illegal, is commendable. It is unfortunate that the authorities of the Lead City University have taken advantage of public sentiments to portray the NUC as an enemy of the students who cannot proceed to the Law School because of the impasse.

The students should however know that law, which they studied at the university, is itself procedural. They should either persuade the management of their school to follow the accreditation procedure or continue to be the loser as the university has continued to operate while the future of the Law graduates remains uncertain.

The Court of Appeal judgment should send a strong signal to proprietors of some private universities who contravene laid down procedures by taking advantage of the unfortunate loopholes in the nation's education sector and the desperation of the public to obtain university degrees. The judgment has also shattered the foundations of whatever point the university management has been trying to prove. The best and only option at this point is to shun any advice to appeal the judgment. The Lead City University just should put the matter to rest by simply doing the right thing.

The NUC should also save the country further embarrassment of this nature by ensuring that any course approved for take off has, at least, 50 per cent prospects of getting eventual accreditation. A situation where most of these private universities run unaccredited courses and even rush to award Master's and PhD degrees a few years after their establishment is making further mockery of Nigerian universities.