Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has commended the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami for being instrumental in the establishment of the Rivers campus of the Nigerian Law School.
The governor said this on Friday at the commissioning of the new Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Rumueme, Port Harcourt.
Wike stated that the Council of Legal Education approved the request for the establishment of the school in the state, which was then forwarded to Malami for approval.
The governor said he was surprised that the minister put aside his political differences and approved the establishment of the law school in the state.
He said, “The Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Justice) said, ‘I will carry this tempting request to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.’ And I said, ‘Ha! I don enter wahala. If it is going to pass through the Attorney General, just forget it. It’s gone because I’m one of their worst critics.’
“I said, ‘How would they see that and approve? Wike? No, it’s not possible.’ The DG came back to me and said, ‘Put in your application.’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said it would go to the President. I said, ‘The president too? Maybe you people don’t want this thing to work.’ I couldn’t believe it.
“(The DG) said when he got to the Attorney General, he (Malami) said, ‘Somebody wants to assist us, something the Federal Government cannot do? Do you want me to play politics? I will not approve (of it).’”
