THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AT MY PLO AND I

I consider it a great privilege to extend to you an hand of fellowship into not just the foremost law faculty in Nigeria but also one of Africa's best. I in fact do not find myself in the danger of a committal of fallacy by stating that this faculty belongs to the ranks of Harvard, Yale and Cambridge Law Schools. Indeed, the facts speak for themselves.

Our achievements within the country as well as off the shores of Nigeria has given us a global reputation making us a cynosure of all eyes. Successes at national and international moot and mock competitions, an array of the nation's best legal educators and a rich variety of intellectualism, activism and political sensitivity among students amongst several others are a testimony to the aforementioned. Little wonder we were adjudged the best law faculty in Nigeria four times in a row!

Consequent on the above, I congratulate you on your entry into the assembly of the learned, the gathering of intellectuals and the community of noetics.

Progressively, as you settle in to commence your voyage to the bar, I enjoin to approach your stay here as a steeplechase race with exams and levels being the hurdles and water jumps ahead of you and your graduation and eventual convocation being the finish line.

It is worthy of emphasis that no part of this race is worth toying with. No hurdle is less important or less deserving of your time and energy. Approach each exam, each test, each assignment, each level with renewed vigour and perspicacity. Regard them all as being instrumental in your race to convocation. Always have the end in sight, for only that way can you keep your attention and focus on the goal.

In addition, you need no soothsayer to inform you that in this voyage you have started, there would be storms and blizzards in your path. Its only too normal! What matters is how well you can navigate your ship in the midst of these storms. It has been opinionated that what differentiates achievers from failures is their attitude to challenges and problems. I agree totally! Do not be afraid of challenges, they are there to make you better!

Penultimately, as new recruits of IFELAW, I encourage you to make use of the manifest opportunities that abound in the faculty in developing and making yourselves better. Committees such as the Moot and Mock committee and the debate committee would hone your lawyerly and public speaking skills. The emergence of specialized clubs such as the Tax Club, Intellectual Property Law Club, Alternative Dispute Resolution Club also provides you a chance at proficiency in different areas of law. There are also Chambers and Societies you could belong to. The goal is to keep building yourself.

I see no better way to end this piece than to quote the words of Martin Luther King Jnr. who animadverted, "if you can't fly then run, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."

Keep moving, keep growing, keep learning, see you at work! (Denzel Washington)


Adetunji Oluwatobi Paul,
President,
Law Students Society.