UNN Responds To Allegations Of Nepotism And Delay In Graduates’ Mobilization For Nigerian Law School

The University of Nigeria Nsukka’s Faculty of Law, led by Prof. Ifeoma Enemo, has addressed accusations of bribery, favoritism, and injustice surrounding the university’s mobilization of graduates for the Nigerian Law School. The institution clarified that the delay in students’ progression to the Law School was caused by the candidates themselves.

The controversy arose when a source alleged a brewing crisis of confidence in the Faculty of Law, centered on suspicions of nepotism and favoritism. According to the source, certain candidates, who took their final examinations in October/November 2022, were rumored to be excluded from the Nigerian Law School’s program at the end of the year.

Prof. Ifeoma Enemo, while responding to the allegations, explained the sequence of events. Early last year, the affected students were scheduled to sit for their final papers, but they requested more time to prepare, coinciding with the looming ASUU strike. Unfortunately, the strike lasted eight months, disrupting the academic calendar. During the strike, the Nigerian Law School requested the list of students eligible for their program, and the university managed to send only 29 students due to the prolonged industrial action.

In the aftermath of the strike, the Faculty of Law faced challenges filling its quota of 220 students for the Nigerian Law School. To resolve the issue fairly and transparently, the faculty management convened and decided to allocate two-thirds of the slots to the 2021/2022 session graduates who had completed their courses in November after the strike. The remaining slots were assigned to the current students who had just concluded their program.

To prevent any favoritism or nepotism, the selection of candidates was based on their academic performance, specifically their cumulative grade point aggregate (CGPA). Prof. Enemo asserted that the process was unbiased, and any contrary information should be brought forward with supporting evidence.

She further defended the faculty’s decision not to prioritize the 2022 graduates, explaining that their results were not ready when the Nigerian Law School commenced admissions. While the allegations of discriminatory practices and insensitivity have caused uproar among the 2022 graduates, Prof. Enemo assured that the faculty had no control over the ASUU strike’s timing and was unable to expedite the release of the students’ results before the Law School’s admission period elapsed.

The University of Nigeria Nsukka is urged to carefully handle the situation, ensuring justice, and fairness prevail in the mobilization of candidates for the Nigerian Law School. Transparency and accountability are essential in addressing the concerns raised, and any semblance of corruption or bias must be thoroughly investigated and eliminated.