Legal Reforms: Otu Donates N50m to Foundation to Address Challenges Facing Young Lawyers

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Governor of Cross Rivers state, Bassey Otu has donated the sum of N50 million to Johnny Agim, SAN Foundation (JASAN Foundation) to help address the myriads of challenges facing young lawyers, the legal education, and the legal profession.

The foundation was set up primarily to foster mentoring and legal education sponsorships for young lawyers from year Final year university law graduates) to 10 years post Call-to-Bar legal experience.

Speaking at the dinner event held on Friday in Abuja, Otu said he was honoured to identify with a professional mentoring programme initiated to level the law career of legal experts in Nigeria.

His words: “Permit me to commend the President and Founder of this noble initiative because what is basically lacking in our nation is what is being discussed today.

“It is not only in the law profession that we have this huge gap existing which has caused our nation so much. And it is very clear that our country, Nigeria —any nation that hasn’t got a proper plan of impacting knowledge and experience, then such an entity cannot go too far. Probably the reason that we have the issues that we have today.”

The Governor stressed that the national scope of the initiative speaks volume for itself, adding that the Cross Rivers state government would be ready to support the programme to make sure it truly becomes a success.

“Let me out on record that Cross Rivers State will donate the sum of N50 million to this foundation for a start,” Otu revealed.

Also, the Founder and President, JASAN Foundation, Johnny Agim, SAN said as a legal practitioner and an advocate for legal reform, he was passionate about building a legacy that would prepare generations of young lawyers for excellence in all their endeavours and see to it that they become institutions in themselves.

He noted that the Legacy dialogue was a critical step towards achieving this goal — by bringing together legal professionals, academics, and stakeholders —in order to explore innovative approaches to mentorship and sponsorship in the legal profession.

Agim said he believed that strategic sponsorship and mentorship are essential tools for professional identity formation in the legal profession.

He explained that JASAN Foundation was committed to fostering excellence in the legal profession through mentorship, sponsorship, and legal reform and advocacy.

Again stated: “Our goal is to create a network of 500 well rounded young lawyers who will drive positive change in the legal profession and the judiciary in the next 10 years in the midterm

“Today, we will be engaging in a series of activities, including a panel of discussion by eminent legal luminaries and an erudite Judge, the launch of the JASAN Foundation N1 billion Endowment Fund for Sponsorship and Scholarship, as well the unveiling of our transgenerational institutional logo.

“We would also be awarding full tuition scholarships to 11 Law students preparing to go to Law School who were selected through our Call for applications and rigorous screening process midwifed by a seasoned Professor of Law, distinguished Senior Advocates of Nigeria and eminent scholars and technocrats.

These students would eventually be inducted into our “Legacy 500 Elite Mentorship Programme Post Call-to-Bar.” Let us not just dream change, let us bring the change we desire.”