By Vivian Okejeme, Judicial Editor
The Nigerian Law School, NLS, in Bwari, Abuja, is the headquarters of the NLS, with six other campuses located in Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcout, Otuoke (Bayelsa State), Kano, and Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The NLS is primarily known for the training of Law graduates from accredited Universities in Nigeria as well those from Commonwealth and non Commonwealth countries. At the end of the training which usually spans between 10 months to one year, the students of the NLS are made to seat for the Bar final examination after which the successful ones among them are awarded BL (Bachelor of Law) degree that qualifies them to be admitted into the Nigerian Bar after being found to be fit and proper. In all these seven campuses of the school. One of the businesses thriving well NLS, Bwari is the sales of law books, wigs, gowns and other law apparels. As a matter of fact, so many people are into the business.
Few days ago, the Peoples Daily newspaper spoke with one of the leading operators in this wigs and gowns business, Mrs Hassana Anzaku, the owner of Olivia Legal Empowerment Initiatives, a registered company with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.
Olivia, as she is popularly called, in this interview spoke on a wide range of issues.
Excerpt of the interview is reproduced below:
Q: How long have you being in this business of selling wigs and gowns among others?
A: Over 25 years.
Q: What motivated you into venturing in to the business?
Q: I enjoy seeing lawyers in their apparels and I then decided to give them high quality to make them stand out amidst their contemporaries.
I feel pain when lawyers apparels are of low quality. It makes them look cheap, but in a quality apparels, they stand out, bold and confident.
Q: Aside Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School, do you also sell same materials in other campuses?
Q: Yes, I do. I am present across the 7 (seven) campuses, but Abuja is my primary base.
Q: Can you mention some big names among the Law School graduates that you have sold wigs and gowns for?
A: I need not mention names, but they are very many. Including Judges, most of them, most of the Houses of Assembly. I supply to neighbouring countries
Q: Apart from wigs and gowns, what other things do you deal in?
A: I specialize in wigs and gowns as well as other lawyers’ accessories.
Q: What has given you the greatest joy since you started the business?
A: I am joyful when I see them in their multitudes on their call to the bar. It’s such a colorful event, seeing them in my products gives me load of joy, happiness.
Q: Do you have any regrets, whatsoever, going into this business?
A: No, not even for a day.
Q: What are your academic qualifications?
A: I am currently pursing a Bachelor Degree. I am studying Entrepreneurial Studies.
Q: Have you ever aspired/dreamt to become a lawyer one day?
A: Everything is about choice and my choice is to be number one legal apparels dealer and nothing more.
Q: Is any of your children studying law or planning to do so?
A: They are still young, they are not old enough to decide.
Q: How far Is it true that you normally give free wigs and gowns to indigent and physically challenged graduates of Law School?
A: Yes, I have been doing that across the seven campuses for the past 7 years now. And I have now established an NGO-Olivia Legal Empowerment Initiatives-for that purpose. One of the current students of NLS, Abuja campus, who holds a PhD degree (names withheld), encouraged me to separate Olivia Legal Wears from the charity and he registered Olivia Legal Empowerment Initiatives at no cost because he was motivated by what he called my kind heart.
Q: How many of such persons have benefited from the gesture?
A: I can not number them. What we do is to give to every disabled Law School students as part of our contributions to their decision to study law in spite of their physical condition. Though we have no financial support yet, but the law school lecturers in all the campuses give me the platform to give to the disability ones
Q: Have you ever been intimidated by any other competitors in the same line of business before?
A: Intimidated? The sky is very large and wide to accommodate all the birds in the air without any collision.
Q: What’s your parting word during this interview?
A: Nothing than to thank God for all He has been doing and also to thank those that have shared in our vision and mission. I also thank you for interviewing me.
END
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