The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the testimony of a woman, Vera Anyim, who claimed to have graduated from the National Open University with a B.Sc degree in Law.
Anyim, during a testimony at the Dunamis Church in Abuja, stated that she was the only graduate in her family, claiming to have earned a “BSc in Law” from NOUN. However, her testimony was met with skepticism from the church’s leader, Dr. Paul Enenche, who accused her of lying.
Dr. Enenche’s reaction sparked nationwide outrage and debate.
Apologizing for his response, Dr. Enenche explained that his skepticism was rooted in the church’s commitment to truth and excellence.
Addressing the issue at a press conference on Thursday, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau stated that no university in Nigeria offers a B.Sc in law. He criticized Anyim for claiming a title that does not exist.
Maikyau said, “I was privileged to have watched the video of a woman who stood up in church and, supposedly, was giving a testimony of how she went through challenges and now has graduated from an open university or so.”
“The man of God sitting in that congregation himself sensed that there was something wrong with the supposed testimony. What he said is complementary of the legal profession in a way. He asked her to describe her degree, and she said B.Sc.”
“There is no B.Sc in law recognized by the Council of Legal Education, the body of benchers, or the NBA. The person who attempted to arrogate B.Sc law to herself was found to have lied.”
Maikyau emphasized that such misrepresentation was not acceptable.
“The way to describe the degree in law is never described like that,” he concluded.
