Via a public statement dated 29th December 2024, and circulated on Friday, 3rd December 2024, the Law Students’ Society (LSS), University of Ibadan, has apologised to the Kegites Club of Nigeria, for ‘certain statements and publications from the society’s Ethics and Litigation Department which might have been perceived as misrepresenting the club’ and clarified the stance of the LSS’ Constitution concerning members of the society joining the club, stating that no provision exists restricting students from joining the Club.
The LSS’ release, which was in response to an 11th December 2024 rejoinder from the Kegites Club concerning the aforementioned statements and publications, also clarified that ‘the publication in question sought to educate law students on adherence to the LSS Code of Conduct, specifically Part A, Rule 4 of the 2024 (as amended) Code, which discourages activities that promote alcohol consumption, including drinking competitions’ and that ‘the example involving your [Kegites] club was cited purely to provide context and emphasis, not to impugn your values or reputation’. It further affirmed the Society’s commitment to collaborative opportunities that enhanced the shared goal [with the Kegites club] of enriching student life and cultural expression, proposing an open dialogue or meeting to strengthen the relationship between both organisations.
Earlier, on December 11th, the Kegites Club had decried the publications made by the LSS’ Ethics and Litigation Committee – as can be seen below – which supposedly ‘cast unfounded aspersions on the club, and failed to recognise its rich cultural heritage’, among others. They mentioned that it had been ‘falsely alleged that the club promotes drinking contests, irresponsibility, and wholesome behaviour’, and also that the LSS Constitution marginalised the rights of club members. To correct this, they demanded; I. A public retraction of the defamatory statements made against the Kegites. II. A formal apology acknowledging the inaccuracies in their publications. III. The removal of any unconstitutional provisions within the LSS constitution that infringe upon the rights of members of the Kegites Club of Nigeria or other associations. The release by the LSS appears to have responded to these demands.
Established in 1971, the Kegites Club of Nigeria is a cultural organization that aims to promote African heritage, intellectualism, and unity. The UI branch, which meets at the National Shrine, opposite the Nnamdi Azikwe Hall, serves as the National Headquarters of the Club.
