It has become a tradition, not to mention a norm, for state governments to, as part of their educational policy, assist their indigenous law students in the payment of law school fees. This acceptable tradition becomes necessary due to the humongous fee demanded by the Nigerian Law School which is currently over N300, 000. It must be noted that this career-threatening fee has cut short the dreams of many would-be lawyers in the country.
Having realised this, the Kwara State government under the leadership of Governor Fatah Ahmed bought into the laudable idea through scholarship intervention to prospective law students. And this explains the reason for the disbursement of about N32 million in 2013 to the 2011/2012 set, with a promise by the government to extend the same gesture to the 2012/2013 set.
However, for over three months after their call, the Kwara State government has not paid the 2012/2013 set. This development has not in any way helped the image of the government. On June 4, 2013, one Olateju and others led a procession of law students (then on court attachment) to the Government House in Ilorin to press home their demand.
The students were received by Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Alhaji Mohammed Lade, who re-affirmed that the 2012/2013 set would be paid, even before the conclusion of their law school programme. The 2012/2013 set have since concluded their programme and have in fact been called to Bar, but the state government has failed in its promise! The 2012/2013 set is simply asking that the Kwara government fulfil its promise. Besides, it would amount to discrimination to give scholarship to 2011/2012 set and abandon the 2012/2013 set.
Alatise Taofeeq, Iyanda Ismael and Bakari Idris,
Ilorin, Kwara state
