NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL: REPS TO PROBE HIJAB BAN

Nigerian Law School, Abuja

NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL: REPS TO PROBE HIJAB BAN

21TH DECEMBER 2017

By Lovins Yakubu

Following the controversy raised by the alleged refusal of the Nigerian Law School (NLS) to call one of its graduates Miss Firdaus Amasa to bar during its ceremony two weeks ago, the House of Representatives has resolved to carry out its investigation on the matter. In this regard, the House has mandated its committees on Justice and Judiciary to investigate and make appropriate recommendations which mighty include the ultimate recognition of and compliance with the rule above any tradition or practice and to submit its report in two weeks.

The resolution of the House followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Danburam Abubakar during plenary on Tuesday. In his motion, he noted that Miss Amasa was a law graduate from the University of Illorin and admitted into the Nigerian Law School as a Pre-requisite before Call to Bar adding that after the completion of the required program at the law school, she was due to be called to bar on Tuesday, December 12, but was denied a Call to Bar by NLS for refusing to take off her head scarf. Abubakar further observed that the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Sultan of Sokoto have raised questions about the legality of the decision of the NLS to deny the Law Graduate Call to Bar. He said that the action of the NLS was a bridge of the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria citing Section 38 as superseding any provision by any government, agency or institution. Also supporting the motion, Lawal Abubakar said it was not the first time this was happening noting that the current issue was peculiar because Miss Amasa took a stand. He added that the NLS rules were inconsequential to the constitution.

It would be recalled that two weeks ago Miss Amasa was said to have been prevented from being Call to Bar after she declined to remove her Muslim Head Scarf popularly called Hijab which was termed bridge of NLS rules on dress code.

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