Sir,

2018/2019 NOVEMBER BATCH OF NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS OF BENUE STATE EXTRACTION STILL STRANDED FOR THE WANT AND NONPAYMENT OF THEIR BURSARY: A FATAL OMISSION.

The major issue for determination is: whether you are aware that Nigerian Law school students of Benue state extraction (the November batch of NLS -Set 2018/2019) had most of their names omitted from the state bursary allocation list.

Sir, we as ex-students of the Nigerian Law school and now Lawyers from Benue State, called to the “BAR” in the 2018/2019 session assume without conceding that you are not aware of our plight and predicament.

Sir, it is on the basis of the high esteem we hold you like Professor Zulum of Borno and Wike of Rivers, that we confidently make these declarations

‘We wish to inform you that nothing less than 25 Lawyers from Benue State had their names omitted from the State’s 2018/2019 bursary allocation list. This fatal omission has occasioned a great deal of hardship to us.’

We agree it was a fatal omission, nonetheless we apply that you consider the plight and pains the omission has occasioned.

Frantic efforts were made on countless occasions to access your office, but all averted to no avails.

Students, whose names were omitted from the 20018/2019 State Bursary list feel not only ostracized but rejected even in their home state and State of origin.

It doesn’t make sense that a group of students from the same state, from the same institution have access to bursaries, while others have nothing to fall back to. Under certain conditions, you barely can have access to jobs or admission outside Benue State for the want of the indigeneship question. Against this backdrop, we apply that you prevent this specie of injustice, selectivism and ostracization from manifesting under your reign.

Impressions, depending on how they are perceived could be very dangerous especially when it is a wrong impression. Thus, we call on the Executive Governor of Benue State to help us expunge these impressions.

We have made concerted efforts to access your office in Makurdi to ventilate our grievances; we have made efforts to access the office of your Deputy, the Commissioner of Education and other stake holders. At some points, Your Deputy addressed us at His office, asking that our biodata be collated. As we speak our case is undecided. This is against the backdrop that two junior sets have been admitted and we have news that our immediate juniors are about to be paid. Yet, our case for now has no direction.

Your Excellency, the plight of Nigerian Law School Students is not only disheartening but very pathetic and unbearable especially for those from poor homes. Without the State’s timely intervention, how would the poor man’s child survive in this country? Unlike Medical students, ‘Lawyers’ in formation at the Nigerian Law school go through unprecedented hardship, considering the humongous amount of money involved in training a lawyer at the Nigerian law school, of a truth some for the want of funds have not had the privilege of going to Law School. Majority went there on loans; yet to be paid. Do you know some have lost count of the number of times they quietly cried naked in the bathroom because of their financial constraints and limitations while at Law School? You know what that means? For an adult to cry naked in the bathroom.

Sir, the rationale for the omission is still an unfathomable mystery. Even when effort was made to correct the anomaly , with our names collated from the various campuses with the DDG’s cover note attesting to our status as Nigerian Law school students at the time, nothing seems to be done. It is on record that we submitted this at the Deputy Governor’s office. We are tired of asking ourselves the question as to whether we are indigenes of Benue State.

Less we are accused of not exploring internal mechanism before going public. Sir, such accusation would be a machinistic manifestation of pathetic pathologies coming from the pit of hell. We have done more than enough; thus anybody conceiving of such idea is an enemy of the State who does not feel the plight of the poor. We have used this open letter medium because as it is, this is the only medium at our arsenal and after now, we still intend to go on ‘Channels TV’ and ‘the Radio Benue Station’ until you hear us. You will agree with us that the frustration and the perceived rejection is way too much. All we want, is for you in conscience to do the needful.

We are Lawyers, we distaste injustice. We would lack the moral rectitude and grounds to fight injustice for the oppressed when we cannot fight for ourselves.

All we want is Justice, we feel really pained and you will agree with us that nothing hurts more than the pinch of injustice. Among other things, it was the unbearable brunt of injustice done to your people in Benue State that prompted you to decamp the APC, it was still the quest of justice for your people that prompted you to have assented to the ‘Anti-Open Grazing Bill’. It was the same quest for justice that prompted your recent address advocating for citizens to carry fire arms as a justiciable form of self defence and balance of power which is recognized by the CFRN 1999 (as amended) and other Legitimate international Statutory instruments. Having felt the brunt of injustice, we are very optimistic that you would save us from the pains of this perceived injustice.

You have felt the pains and brunt of injustice you know the gravity of its hurt. Thus, we solemnly apply and appeal that you use your wise discretion to expunge this perceived impression lingering in the minds of students whose names were omitted for no fault of theirs.

We are very positive as to what you can do, thus we look up to you as a man of justice who has the interest of the State at heart and who would do the needful. Oblige us the opportunity not to doubt this believe.

Assurances of our esteemed regard.

Long live Benue state

Long live the Executive Governor and

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ujah Israel Ujah Esq. is a member of the Street Lawyers Association of Nigeria,

Representing the voice of the voiceless

For: 2018/2019 November Batch Omitted list.

He writes from the FCT

07034651322

monkiszrel@gmail.com