Advertisement

Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

The National Association of Enugu State Law Students has appealed to the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah to assist them in the payment of the Nigerian Law School fees by approving a bursary package for them. 

Advertisement

The student group made the appeal in an open letter to the Governor sighted by Pacesetter, titled “Re: Urgent Appeal For Emergency Financial/Bursary Assistance For Enugu State Law School Students”, dated January 7, 2024, and signed by the group’s National President, Stephen Samson Obiora; National Secretary, Ugwoke JohnPaul Obisike and National PRO, Aguoma Uzoamaka. 

Stating why they had to resort to writing the Open Letter to the Governor, the trio noted that letters written and submitted earlier to the Governor and Deputy Governor’s offices respectively weren’t responded to, lamenting that they were constrained by the Nigerian Law School’s deadline for payment of the school fees which was increased from N296,000 to N476,000.

The letter reads in full:

Advertisement

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ENUGU STATE LAW STUDENTS

OPEN LETTER TO OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ENUGU STATE

Your Excellency,

RE: URGENT APPEAL FOR EMERGENCY FINANCIAL/BURSARY ASSISTANCE FOR ENUGU STATE LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS

Advertisement

We, the undersigned law graduates from Enugu State, wish to once again congratulate you on your merited victory at the polls and to also commend your good works in our dear state. We write to you today with a humble and passionate heart to solicit your immediate intervention in a matter that threatens to extinguish the dreams of numerous aspiring legal professionals like ourselves. The legal profession is an enviable profession which seeks to uphold the principles of rule of law and interpret the laws of a country.

Your Excellency, we are very happy that our dear State (Enugu) has two great minds and leaders as her Governor and Deputy who are also intellectuals in the legal profession and who know what it takes to be part and parcel of the legal profession.

Having proudly completed our undergraduate studies in Law, we stand poised at the precipice of the final hurdle before joining the ranks of dedicated legal minds serving our state: the Nigerian Law School program.

Advertisement

However, Your Excellency, a sudden and significant increase in fees from N296,000 to N476,000 coupled with a severely limited payment window has thrown our aspirations into jeopardy.

Many of us come from families struggling to make ends meet. This exorbitant fee hike, paired with the short deadline, has thrust us into a financial abyss, threatening to extinguish the flames of hope we have so meticulously nurtured through years of dedicated study.

Your Excellency, this financial issue has put a full worrisome burden on us which was the reason we have written to your good office several letters which we sent out the first one on the 23rd October, 2023. A corresponding letter which we sent out to your office on the 20th November, 2023 and also a passionate appeal letter to the office of the Deputy Governor which we sent out on the 20th November, 2023.

Your Excellency, denying us access to the Law School because of this sudden financial burden would not only be a personal tragedy for each of us, but also a significant loss to Enugu State legal profession which you are also part of Your Excellency.

We represent a vibrant pool of legal talent, brimming with passion, dedication, and the desire to contribute meaningfully to our communities and uphold the rule of law. We envision ourselves becoming lawyers who will champion the rights of our citizens, foster economic growth, and strengthen the foundations of justice in our state.

Therefore, we humbly appeal Your Excellency to consider our plight with the utmost urgency and extend a lifeline of bursary/financial assistance. This is not merely a request for financial aid; it is a plea for an investment in the future of Enugu State. Every legal mind saved from this financial bottleneck represents a future champion of justice and progress for our state.

The recent fee increase and restrictive deadline leave us with very little time. We understand the immense demands on your public purse, but we firmly believe that providing an emergency bursary assistance to bridge this financial gap would represent a swift and impactful investment in the future of Enugu State. The return on this investment will be measured not only in the bolstering of our legal system, but also in the strengthened framework of justice, economic development, and overall well-being of our communities.

We, the aspiring legal minds of Enugu State, humbly beseech Your Excellency to act swiftly and grant us emergency bursary assistance. With your support, we can overcome this financial hurdle and contribute to the betterment of our state with unwavering dedication.

Thank you for considering our desperate plea with the utmost urgency.

Sincerely,

AGUOMA UZOAMAKA National P.R.O – 08029766118

UGWUOKE JOHNPAUL OBISIKE National Secretary 07060402261

STEPHEN SAMSON OBIORA National President – 09031171925