*** THE - - CONVERSATION ***

UNSBA GROUP in collaboration with CHOCOLATE FACTORY brings you the hottest show in University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus
*** THE - - CONVERSATION ***
‪#‎Mid‬ Session Edition

Well, like the saying goes... Uneasy lies the head that wears a Crown... It is the first half of the 2015/2016 and we are back here on THE CONVERSATION to examine some of the issues that arose within the first semester of the session.
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You can follow the show tonight on the CHOCOLATE Factory Facebook Group, the UNSBA and LAWSA Facebook Groups as well as the UNSBA blog @ www.unsbagroup.blogspot.com.
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I have with me tonight, a special guest who not withstanding his busy schedule found time to come around... He is the President of the Law Students Association, UNEC... Mr IGWE CHIKA...
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HOST : Goodevening sir... Good to have you here....
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CHIKA : Very well, thank you.
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HOST : I still remember the last time you were here on the show.... That was sometime last year, September to be precise....
How has it been all these while...?
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CHIKA : Well, we have been trying our best to fix the system we met. Alot achieved and more yet to be achieved.
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HOST : So, as of September 2015, where were we as a faculty and where are we now ?
what have been achieved so far. ?
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CHIKA : When you say ,"as a faculty" you mean the entire student body and the management of the faculty. As a faculty, we were distablised,on the verge of lossing accreditation due to leaking classrooms as a result of the damaged lecture roofs, inability to complete the administrative building and lack of finances for Lawsa because no government can survive without financial assistance that was why many governors in Nigeria went for bell out fund at the CBN through the presidency. Now,the re-roofing has been completed while the admin building is under serious labour work and will be readily furnished by July this YEAR when the primier Law Faculty in Nigeria is expected to pack in there. Lawsa can now finance most of its projects since the student dues is expected to act as a boost to us.
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HOST : wooow.... Beautiful...!
So, what about your personal achievements as the President of the Association ?
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CHIKA : Lawsa now, has achieved more than our previous governments, that is the dream of every government that the successors will do better. We were able to sustain the Use of the Law lavatory as was initiated by the last Lawsa administration. Guess what, students no longer pay to use the Lavatory unlike before. The closing hour was extended from 3pm to 6pm daily so as to accommodate classes that may be interested in evening lectures. We also organized a public lecture where dignitaries were in attendance from a former governor to a top class military officer and big whips in APC, ALL discussing political unrest in Nigeria.
We also had a first year Dinner which the entire Unec voted as the Best Dinner in Unec, highly organized, great foods and dignitaries in attendance.This Administration has introduced a Legacy to be unveiled on the Law Dinner Night, it is the UNNLAWDOCS, a replica of the Law Pavilion. The law docs is the height of all Lawsa achievements. It has both online, desktop and laptop versions. The address for online is ,(www.unnlawdocs.com). These are few of the achievenments and after the Lawsa week, we shall interlock coscharis environment and at least extend the walkway, that will be our great contribution to Law Faculty Unec. We shall also initiate the Lawsa Bus project. And present the Best Lawsa Week ever, I am only casting news not a prayer. Prayer says let it be done, news says, it has happened.
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HOST. : Woow... Awesome ! Great plans...
But speaking about the DOC... You earlier stated that it was going to be unveiled at the mentoring session... and by now Lawsaites will be making full use of it... What went wrong. ?
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CHIKA : Yes, however, by then, we decided to go for further upgrade, we wanted to upgrade it in such a way we shall be the first student body in Africa to have done that, such which we achieved, then proceeded to add more features to it. It is now online but from nextweek, we shall distribute it to students via thier class representatives. The distribution is for android versions, after then the desktop version will be installed in ICT LAW LIBRARY. It was specially designed for the desktops.
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HOST : That's Nice....
Well, l know this seems to have passed, but it appears some Lawsaites still do not understand the reason for the increment in the Lawsa dues.. Was it really necessary ?
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CHIKA : Well, I will give a rundown of the increment and what we do have. The Lawsa House reserved the power to increase the lawsa dues with the president assent and the facultys approval. The problem we had was that a proper awareness was not done. The House published its sittings minute without observing constituency discussion with the various classes since the post on the notice board could not communicate such. First publication was full of errors and was done without the actual knowledge of the speaker, such looks more like a sabotage and students have to react to it. Ayway, it is a responsibility we all must accept and we apologize for the communication lapses. I read the constitution and met the House on the issue of increment so the House acted alright in line with what we have as the constitution. My reasons was that our dues before will be highest 1.2million from that, you pay the House sitting allowance, execute one or two projects of the executive and you will be left with 800,000. With such money you cannot host a law week talk of law dinner. Cost of things have gone up in the market even the cost of antiquities or utilities, if we do not increase the dues, we shall have few money pursuing expensive values. Where paper is no longer 5naira but 10naiara.
We still have Barrista Magazine to finance, then how will Lawsa survive it. Am not saying the money is too big now, we shall still source for funds but the stress will not be much since we have our books to read which is our prioirity.
Edwin borrowed over 1million to host his week because Lawsa could not afford to sponsor the last law week. Increasing the dues as we did, will go a long way to solve our problem in Lawsa for finances and weak constitution has been the major problems of LAWSA. However, I still apologize for the leakage in communication and lack of proper consultation and poor explanation that went on, that moment.
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HOST : okay.... Let's talk about this...Sometime within the last semester.. we woke up one day, only to hear that members of the ultimate class have been banned from reading in the moot court complex after lectures... and we heard that you were in the center of it all...
What really happened and what is the situation of things now....?
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CHIKA : Well, the Faculty made a rule that mootcourt should be locked every day by 1pm. That rule has come to stay, but I understand the feeling of my class and decided it will be open as much as possible, however, we experience massive abuse of the mootcourt facility, a singular reason while the faculty suggested 1pm. After the exam we reversed to 1pm.
However, the initial crises I had with few persons led to temporary closure of the mootcourt, I only reversed to Faculty`s rule because the privilege was abused and ill managed.
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HOST. : So, currently, the moot court will now be locked by 1pm ?
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CHIKA : Yes, in line with the faculty`s instruction since they are seriously monitoring the security of the complex.
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HOST. : Can't there be any other way around this , since that's the only class used by the final years ?
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CHIKA : I just told you what the rule is, if there is a way out, yes there could be but is not what I can say publicly so that no electronically generated or documentary evidence will be used against me.
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HOST : (laughs) Okay.... Let's move on....
I came across a couple of first year students- members of the 020 class, who were seriously complaining that they paid the sum of #500 under your direction; for them to be issued with a Lawsa identity card as of November/December last year.... and up till now, they are yet to receive this identity card unlike their counterparts in other faculties...
How true is this...?
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CHIKA : Of course they did, like 89 students in a legal class of 256 students but I can tell you we shall no longer wait for others as the production has started but we will never engage on further production after this first set, however, we still apologize for late response to such. I will also encourage them through this medium to submit there data to ICT so that they may get UNN I.D card at least before the end of their stay in Unec.
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HOST : Thats right...
Well, on the hand, it has been rumoured that you don't carry the members of your executive along... that infact you take almost if not every decision on your own....
Is it true... ?
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CHIKA : Absolutely not true, not to my knowledge of any such, it lacks quantifiable evidence.
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HOST : But have there been such complaints by some or any member of your executive that you don't carry them along ?
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HOST : Some have complained but the question becomes, do I do Lawsa job everyday without reading my books or in what aspect do I not carry the person along ?. Some issues are better left for the president. Example; if the Faculty ordered me to lock coscharis by 10pm everyday, I need not tell my Excos before doing such but I can tell them after such decision. The reason is simple, I do not need there permission to do such but am free to accept their advice.
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HOST : Ok, so let's look at the huge one.... There is currently, a legal action pending against you... Hope you are aware ?
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CHIKA : Am not aware because I have not been legally notified (not been served). All these are hearsay, it lacks evidential validity and authenticity,I even heard that some rebelous fellows wrote a report or petition or court letter agaisnt me which I never saw with my two eyes neither did my Sec. Gen nor PRO inform me and the supposed ground for writing is indeed baseless and will never stand the test of time.
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HOST : OK, let's take it from the start... I learnt an open letter was written to you informing you about a likely court action if the demands of the letter were not met...
Did you receive such letter ?
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CHIKA : No such letter.
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Host : OK... If you haven't received such letter... I happened to have seen a copy of it , which is also published on the "CHOCOLATE Factory" facebook group. The major contention in the letter is that you acted contrary to the provisions of the Lawsa Constitution, especially section 30(3) and 31(1) by neglecting the Lawsa Vice President in the constitution of the Lawsa week committee... What's your take on that...?
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CHIKA : Which committee? Ignorance on rampage. A committee begins to exist when they are public not when they are orally declared. I have no such. The Lawsa VP is the law week chairman constitutionally but has not even constituted any single committee. What we have is date for law week which is 3rd week of May. What I have is the planing team and I need no approval to choose them. They only help me to source for funds and invitation of guests which by no means wil interfere with the dinner committee role....
Some persons are lookings for cheap popularity or may be trying to push the Lawsa vp to stage a rebelion which is like a witchcraft without my knwoledge. They ought to have asked, how has Lawsa week been conducted before. They follow tradition which is that the President oversees the week especially the dinner as its success rest on him. If people are willing to blame the president, they should also allow him to be in charge. However, mine is different, its time people know their functions, just as Lawsa house accepted responsibility of increasing lawsa dues so should all Excos. The new bill we have has actually incorporated the tradition, just to receive approval. By it, I only oversee dinner and Barista magazine. My dear, Lawsa week may not hold until the new bill becomes a constitution, snce last year I came, I have been pushing for the approval. The old constitution is an insult to human dignity.
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HOST : So, what next...?
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CHIKA : Now the old constitution should give way to a new constitution because the old one can no longer keep Lawsaites together. The constitution made Unsba president subject to Lawsa Asst. Sec.Gen. He should take orders from Lawsa Asst.Sec.Gen. Who is the chairman of the mooting committee.
The dinner commitee in the constitution will be elected by the Lawsa house which may elect themselves there by making them judges in their own case. The presidnt only appoints chairman from a 4th year class from the elected persons in 4th year. A 4th year cannot head a final year in a committee.
The constitution we have can no longer face the presence reality in Lawsa. Let me tell law students what to expect, there may be no lawsa week without a new constitution because the law we have will keep both Lawsa and Unsba at a standstill, I wil keep pushing until a new constitution comes on board. If done, I shall oversee dinner and Barristers Magazine, I will not be involved in any other program in the law week as they will never concern me,people must start to take responsibility of their duties. I may help to make cultural day work through personal charity on my part and inviting powerful personality to it because I love culture.
My VP can not sponsor what you may have as a petition, we have always been together, in fact, I have a good team despite the fact only two of them voted me in the Lawsa election that brought me into office. Those raising issues where there is no issue should just face there studies since second semester is too short. Law students should hold me responsible only on dinner and Barristers Magazine not on law week as a whole, every body shall face his business this time around.
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HOST : Ok, let's not get things mixed up.
You have said a lot of things... Let's clarify some. You just said, that law week may not hold until the new Lawsa bill is passed... Why ? And besides, l thought the bill was passed by the last house ?
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CHIKA : I didnt say "passed", I mean the last Lawsa house only made a constitution though full of lapses, but without the Faculty board's approval, the constitution cannot be legal. What I mean by there may be no lawsa week, is that it is actually not by my making, If you enforce the mockery called constitution, you will destroy Unsba, at least all your classmates warmimg up for mooting will calm down. Students will in turn fight lawsa to a standstil and target the Law week.
Inside Lwsa, I will oppose any attempt to allow 4th years organise any dinner or committee by election because no one will hear the other.
Many within Lawsa will also challenge the Secretary to the Dean to seize to be our Lawsa financial secretary or even the Dean. That is enforcing the constitution as a whole not a partial enforcement. if this should happen, then the faculty will cancel the law week.
The faculty told me that some letters are coming in trying to enforce the constitution and they told me clearly that if this continues, they will cancel Law week. By the way, if you do not allow the President to participate in the law week what then should he do, fold his hands and watch fraud to repeat itself since non has ever been convicted ? Well, the rule of Law should still stand in agreement with time.
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HOST : Now you speak about the rule of law and at the same time the "mockery will have now as a constitution"... I believe the argument made on the other side is... How come you now refer the provisions of the same constitution you were sworn in with as dead letters and on different occasions you cite the provisions of this same constitution to justify your actions when it favours you...
How do one balance the two ?
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CHIKA : No, You are wrong, that a constitution ushered in a government doesnt make it a perfect law. The rule of law is the law we have tentatively. Go to court,i t may stand but the dire consequencies may be alarming. The constitution we have is full of lapses, law students should be ashamed of it, business faculty has better constitution than us talk of a law faculty in national open university.
My dear, l do not cite the constitution with bias. I move the removal of old lecom in line with root. I have never violated any constitutional provision despite its weakness. If I raise issues challenging the constitution, it may move the faculty to approve the new bill we have. All accusations on the so called petition amounts to falsehood. They cannot prove any of them.
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HOST : Okay... I hope so...
So quickly, in few words, what are we to expect from LAWSA in this second semester... Would we still have to wait for the faculty to approve the bill or are we going to go ahead with the Lawsa week; if yes, what are we to expect as well ?
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CHIKA : Well, we should expect a new constitution as the Faculty promised and also if it doesnt come, the present constitution must be enforced wholistically and the law week will proceed but I believe the law week will be nice if we survive the arrow.
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HOST : (laughs) Which arrow please...?
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CHIKA : The aftermath of enforcing the law which is problematic, are you not seeing the lapses and what it may cause if enforced as a whole ?
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HOST : OKay.. So many issues heating the polity... But we just have to go now...
Thank you so much for coming around.... it has been a pleasure having you here tonight...
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CHIKA : The pleasure is mine...
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Alright, to our esteemed audience participating through Facebook and other social media platforms... It is that moment when we get to hand over the Conversation to you... My name is VICTOR ENYIOKO; and I have been your Host tonight...
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Let us know...
Should the Lawsa Constitution be enforced in part or as a whole...? Share your thoughts on any of the issues we have discussed tonight... We would love to hear from you....