[SOLVED] validation_errors() returning empty

Code:
&lt;?



    class Booker extends Controller{

    

        public function __construct(){

            parent::Controller();

            $this->load->model('booker_model');

            $this->load->model('contractor_model');

        }

        

        public function index($provider = NULL){

            $data = NULL;

            if(!is_null($provider)){//we have a provider

                if($this->_provider_exists($provider)){//and the provider exists

                    //set the provider contractor_id

                    $contractor = $this->contractor_model->get_contractor_by_username($provider);

                    $this->dbsession->set_userdata(array('provider_id'=>$contractor['contractor_id'],'provider'=>$provider));

                    

                    $this->viewloader->booker_render('login_register_view',$data,$provider);

                }else{//and the provider does not exists

                    $this->viewloader->direct_render('/booker/no_provider',$data);

                }

            }else{//we dont' have a provider

                $this->viewloader->direct_render('/booker/no_provider',$data);

            }

        }

                

        public function run_reg(){

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('fname','First Name','required|trim');

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('lname','Last Name','required|trim');

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('email','Email','required|trim|valid_email');

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('phone','Phone','required|trim');

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('password','Password','required|trim');

            

            if($this->form_validation->run() == false){

                echo json_encode(array('error'=>'true','errormsg'=>validation_errors()));

            }else{

            

            }

        

        }

                

        private function _provider_exists($provider){

            if($this->contractor_model->provider_exists($provider)){

                return(true);

            }else{

                return(false);

            }

        }    

    }



?&gt;