I really cant
remember when i started my LLM Programme, at the Lagos State University( LASU),
neither do i know when i will finish this programme. Today the Marine Insurance
Class was a joint class, a combination of LLM 1(First yr) Maritime Law students
and LLM2(Second yr) General law/corporate law( my own class). After lectures ,
a student in LLM 1 Maritime turns around
to face me and he asked me these questions:
‘ please when
did you start this programme’
‘ honestly i cant remember’
I had to think
twice, do some calculations, some arithmetic before giving an answer.
‘ ok i think i
enrolled for this course late 2009 , just
when we were about to start classes ASUU ( Academic Staff of Universities Union)
went on strike, so we resumed in 2010, and just when we were about to start our
1st semester examination around October, ASSU went on strike again,
the school was shut down, we resumed in 2011. Immediately we resumed we wrote
our exams and thereafter resumed 2nd semester, luckily no strike
since then. This is the beginning of 1st semester for the 2nd
and last session’
‘Waoh! So when
will this session end’
‘ honestly i
don’t know, i cant guess, i cant tell’
This what schooling in Nigeria is like, no certainty,
strike upon strike, no stable programme for the session, its any how, any way
you see it, you take it’
Now back to
the class, the next lecture for my own class is LANDLORD AND TENANT. The
lecturer comes in and demands for our seminar papers. Apparently i am the only
student who has a seminar paper ready to deliver. My class mates begin to
complain that it is suppose to be a group work. I did not know that, i thought
everyone in my group was suppose to prepare his or her own work. Anyway at the end of the day, i am
allowed to deliver my paper titled MESNE PROFITS, COMPENSATION AND OCCUPATION A
MYTH OR A REALITY, my classmates criticized some of the issues i had raised. At
the end of the day it was an interesting and interactive class. Most of all i
am happy that i have cleared one seminar paper for the semester.
As the
lecturer leaves the class, another lecturer walks in to teach the same course.
What! This lecturer is actually the main lecturer, the ‘authority’ (very
conversant in an area of law)in landlord and tenant, but refused to take the
course, claiming that he was cheated in the last promotion exercise. According
to him, he ought to have gotten a promotion. His approach to his classes is
cool: we are going to study and review the new law on tenancy, LAGOS STATE
TENANCY LAW 2011.
‘ok i don’t get it! Why did he put us through all this stress, OMG!,
It took me like four days to put my seminar paper together, now i have to write
another one for him OMG! This school sulks! My only consolation is this ; now i
have to be honest here, the lecturer is really an ‘authourity’ (very conversant
in an area of law) in Land lord and tenant . His lectures very cool! As for my
last seminar paper, i have no regrets!
My dear
readers this is what it takes to study in a Nigerian University. No consistency!
For those who have the time and money its better to school abroad, or attend a
private university here in Nigeria. But one thing i like about schooling here
is that references are made to Nigerian laws and as post graduate students we
are expected to proffer solutions to several issues in Nigeria.
