By Waziri Isa Adam

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammad Tawfiq Ladan to September 2024.

 

Letter of extension of the tenure which was sighted by Education Monitor, dated 1st March, 2023, was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

 

The letter which was captioned, “Appointment As Director-General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies”, partly read, “I am pleased to inform you that Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved your appointment as Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, for a single term of five (5) years in accordance with the provisions of section 5 ,(1) of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Act, 2004, and section 3 (6) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 1996.

Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammad Tawfiq Ladan

The letter further read, “this appointment is with effect from 9th September, 2019, and your emoluments and other conditions of service shall be as provided under section section 8 (2) of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Act 2004. This letter supercedes the earlier one issued Ref . No. SGF.42/S.6/97, dated 28th, September, 2019”

 

It would be recalled that instead of a single term of 5 years, as approved by the joint requirements of both section 5(1) of NIALS Act and section 3(6) of the Universities (Miscellaneous) Act, Professor Ladan was appointed to serve as the Institute’s Director-General for the period of four (4) years.

 

By the March 2023 letter, therefore, the error of initial appointment for 4 years strictly by the NIALS’ Act, was corrected to reflect the established 20 year old precedent of a single term of 5 years consistent with not only the NIALS’ Act, but also the Universities (Miscellaneous) Act, as well as the practice in the appointment of of the last three Director-Generals.

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