Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said times have changed drastically in Nigeria as he recalled how he started teaching at the University of Lagos UNILAG) in 1981 as lecturer II with a monthly salary of N620.
Osinbajo stated this at the 53rd annual conference of the Association of Nigerian Law Teachers yesterday in Kano.
He said, “Let me begin with thanking the executives of our association for the very kind invitation to join you at the 53rd annual conference of law teachers. A law teachers’ conference is always a home coming for me. I started teaching at the University of Lagos in 1981 as lecturer II; my salary at that time was N620.”
Osinbajo said the place of law teachers is crucial.
“We, law teachers are custodians and creators of the underline concepts and fundamental premises of legal framework. And because we are the thinkers for the system of law and justice, and our profession our conference has always been a forum for the free and yet deep interrogation of fundamental ideas and principles that hold society together. Questions like trajectory of law, law and order, democratic practice and their current interpretations and current efficacy,” he said.
The vice president said the theme of this year’s conference: “Law, democracy and electoral processes” was appropriate as the national elections were coming in less than a year.
Osinbajo said democracy was under severe attack in Africa, noting that “since 2017, there have been 12 military coups in Africa.”
He said that Nigeria has a strong civil society that would continue to safeguard its democracy.
The vice president said Nigeria condemned extra constitutional seizure of power in the West African sub-region.
“In keeping with our foreign policy, democracy has become part of our exceptionalism, our gallant armed forces are totally subordinated to civilians command and authority.
“And fully committed to depending our constitution order against internal and external threats,” he said.
In his remarks, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, said that the Country needed strong institutions for the sustenance of the democracy in the Country.
“There is no doubt, election and electoral processes in sustenance of democracy, we need strong institutions.
“They must play their role effectively to have sustainable democracy,” he concluded.
