Law School Students To Lalong: Pay Our Seven Years’ Bursary

The Plateau State Law School Students’ Association (PLALAWSA) has appealed to Governor Simon Lalong to pay their seven years backlog of bursaries.

Their spokesman, Mr J. R. Tahdok, made the plea in a statement in Jos.

Tahdok explained that since 2015, when Lalong entered Office as Governor of Plateau, he has not paid any law student the bursary, a situation which has negatively affected their studies and morale.

“It’s disheartening and shameful that our governor, who is a lawyer, has not demonstrated any love or kindness to his young colleagues in the law profession.

“What Lalong may not know is that it was former Governor Jonah Jang, who remodelled and increased the law school bursary. Jang is not a lawyer, yet he did that to encourage law students in their quest for knowledge.

“All we want is for our governor to ponder on this as a lawyer and do the needful by paying the bursary.

“Let’s not forget that the anxious beneficiaries are young lawyers, who are finding life so difficult, His Excellency knows too well the plights of young lawyers in Nigeria, because His Excellency was once a young lawyer, who knows better,” he said.

He said PLALAWSA is an association of all who are indigenous to Plateau State, who studied Law from all the recognised universities all around the world and subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School.

The law student explained how Lalong’s late younger brother, Mr Tsenba Bako, told him how he (Governor Lalong) struggled and the role he (Tsenba Bako) played to raise money so that Lalong could go to law school in Lagos.

“The late Tsenba had to sell his rice farm, just to raise money so that Governor Lalong could go to the law school.

“Surprisingly, after benefitting from the bursary scheme, Governor Lalong has refused to pay his juniors, some of whom are still struggling to complete the law school programme,” he lamented.

Tahdok expressed hope that the governor would listen to their plea and consider the payment of the backlog of bursaries as expected.