The NBA Onitsha Branch honoured impactful members and gave young lawyers success tips at its Law Week and Dinner ceremony which held in Onitsha, reports Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU
IT was fun and fanfare as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Onitsha branch capped off its annual Law Week and Dinner ceremony with honouring its deserving members and others who had positively impacted the legal profession.
The event held at branch’s Bar Centre in Onitsha.
Top among the honourees was the Acting Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie M. Anyachebelu, who received the outstanding leadership award.
The branch also honoured other members who contributed significantly to the growth and development of the branch.
They included: Kpajie Ibegbu (SAN), who received the Team Player of the Year Award, Mr. Alex Ejesieme (SAN), who received the outstanding achiever of the Year award while Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) was honoured with the Top performer of the Year award.
Justice Onyinye Anumonye was given Outstanding achiever of the Bar award. Chief Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN) received Hero of the Bar award while Rt Rev. Nathaniel C. Obiagba received the Hall of fame award.
Mr. Nonso Isiugo Arinze received Coach of the Year award while Mr. A.C Anaenugwu (SAN), Hon. P.A. Afuba and G. B. Obi received lead partners of the year award while the former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu received lifetime achiever of the Bar.
Young lawyers must develop
soft skills
Speaking on the law week theme, “Protecting the legal profession from extinction adulteration and infiltration,” keynote speaker, Chief Mike A. A. Ozekhome (SAN) advised the Nigerian Law School to teach students soft skills.
Ozekhome said: “At the Law School, they teach students all the laws and principles required to succeed as a lawyer, but they forget to teach the students that they are also humans.
“They rarely allow room for students to develop intra-personal, inter-personal and extra-personal skills.
“Given the strategic nature of the legal profession in our society, this oversight has come at a huge cost to our noble profession, with the quality of legal practice plummeting on a daily basis.”
According to Ozekhome, soft skills are crucial to the survival of the legal profession.
“Not only because today’s lawyers are standing on the shores looking out at a foggy horizon, facing a time completely unprecedented, their future uncertain and ambiguous, their environment volatile and complex, their world moving rapidly and technology advancing at an alarming rate, but also because the legal profession has its origin from nobility and nobility is rooted in propriety,” he said.
He observed that new wigs seem to be lacking in several areas.
Ozekhome said: “The present crop of lawyers being churned out from our various Law Schools have demonstrated a want of these competences and, as Lord Dening, Master of the Rolls, puts it,”…the link between success and merit…is forged through soft skills.”
“Soft Skills such as empathy, initiative/creativity, building bonds, self awareness and self-assessment, communication skills, collaboration and corporation, change catalyst, leveraging diversity and social, business and court room etiquettes, to mention but a few, must be introduced if we are to protect the legal profession from extinction, adulteration and infiltration.
“Most lawyers cannot stand for long hours during cross examination exercises. Some hardly show ingenuity during litigation. Many sleep in court in the course of proceedings, and generally reveal a want of emotional strength.
“How many lawyers have missed their matters in court due to poor health? These weaknesses have had a huge impact on the competence and advocacy/litigation of the Bar.
“Even some of the most brilliant and Senior lawyer are equally culpable.
Continuous education, a necessity
The Silk said there was a secret to survival of the legal profession “in trying times such as we are.”
Ozekhome said: “Continuing legal training is the osmosis of the legal profession and most intelligent lawyers would stop at nothing to gain information that would impact on their legal practice for the better. There is need for the Nigerian Bar Association to introduce programs targeted to help the legal profession protect itself from extinction, adulteration and infiltration.
How to protect legal profession
Ozekhome said protecting the Legal Profession from extinction, adulteration and infiltration businesses demands that lawyers understand the pace their sector is moving and innovate to meet the new challenges.
“Innovation is not about the business flaw; it is about the business of business.
“So, how do we keep up? By having better conversations and having a richer understanding of the world. To listen and learn, so we are better equipped, investment in technology must be in tandem with investment in talent because, to be very frank, the market will kill those who do not adapt. They are the ones who should be scared of the machines. For them, the robots are coming. For those who can find ways to improve and adapt to the use of technology, I believe the future Is very bright indeed” Ozekhome stated.
Choice of theme
Chairman of NBA Onitsha branch, Ozo Ben Erinne explained the choice of the theme.
He said: “The theme was chosen as a result of the current challenges faced by lawyers in and out of court. The flagrant disobedience of valid court orders, the consistent harassment, intimidation, assault and insult of the bar and the bench, the obvious infiltration of the profession by quacks and the fear of extinction in the near future.
“The law week achieved more than expected and what is left is to follow up with the resolutions.
“ The exceptional qualities of the lectures and speakers were the most interesting parts of the law week. The dinner, which was the best ever, of course climaxed the week.
“I think we need to start from the bench ensuring that certain laws are declared null and void, judgments and orders are delivered and given fearlessly, fairly and justly, the bar takes proactive steps against the infiltration by quacks and a fearless and frontal stand against attempts to embarrass the judiciary.
A prominent member of the branch, Mr. Steve Onyechi Ononye added that the topic “Protecting the Legal profession from Extinction, adulteration and infiltration” was chosen “because the legal profession has in recent times been faced with numerous challenges such as extinction, adulteration and infiltration which pose great threat to our esteemed and noble profession.
The Legal Profession we know is a noble, distinguished and reputable Profession that plays a very pivotal role in the judiciary and society at large.
“It is a profession anchored on the core values of fairness, equity and justice, hence there is need to identify and address these issues that are potentially harmful to the survival and advancement of the legal profession with a view to maintain its sacrosanct role in the Society.”
On whether the law week achieved the objectives, Ononye said: “Rome was not built in a day. The issue of protecting the legal profession from extinction, adulteration and infiltration is not one that can be resolved shortly, it is a continuous process but I can say that this law week has brought to fore the issues that are bedeviling the profession and practical solutions were proffered by the speakers and members of the NBA Onitsha who are keen to take necessary step to revamp our noble profession.
During the Law week we were able to enlighten our members and draw their attention this vital issue and since then, a lot of progress has been made towards resolving this particular challenge facing the legal profession.
According to alternate Chairman of the law week, Ado Obinna Edozie, the legal profession “is known to be a noble and respectable profession. But the recent acts of disrespect and disregard shown to the Judiciary by some Government officials put this in doubt.
“The incessant disobedience to court orders and the flagrant disrespect to the rule of law gave rise to the selection of this topic.
She added: “The word extinction as it relates to this topic is an exaggeration figuratively used to show the extent of degeneration or decline of the Legal profession in the recent time. While adulteration as used in the topic on the other hand, is an off shoot of infiltration because when something is infiltrated it certainly becomes adulterated as it is no longer the original.”
She lamented the “infiltration of quacks into the profession, the rampant harassment of Legal Practitioners by the officers of the Nigerian Police Force, and also the exorbitant tax rate being levied on lawyers’ offices and their finance made this an attractive and timely topic to consider.”
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On whether the law week achieved the aim of its topic, Edozie said: “ I will say that it’s a gradual process. The various speakers which include a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Judges of the High Court, Senior Advocates of Nigeria and Legal Practitioners who have distinguished themselves in different aspects of law, were undoubtedly able to do justice to the theme of the Bar week.
“Lawyers have a duty to ensure that all that was said is being put into practice. The younger lawyers who were present in their numbers have a role to uphold the set standard of the noble profession likewise the Older Lawyer should continue to set good examples for the younger ones to emulate.
“Frankly, I was impressed by all the aspect of the law week. However, I was particularly impressed by the Bar Dinner and award night. This is because the Dinner was planned and conducted in an orderly manner. It was a most pleasing sight to see members of the noble profession come together to wine and dine, and relax after the year work.
“I was also impressed with the speech delivered by Chief Mike A. A. Ozokhome (SAN) during the Dinner and award night.
“He expressed his disapproval of the incessant disobedience of the executive arm of government to Court orders and the rising level of corruption amongst the key players in government.
“He particularly rebuked the act of the officers of the government who stormed into the court room to re-arrest a 2019 presidential aspirant who had been earlier released by the order of the court. He also maintained that everyone, including lawyers must have regard for the rule of law, and lawyers should strive to build trust and confidence of their clients.
“Another aspect of the law week which also impressed me was the health walk. The health work was exciting, very useful and I had lots of fun exercising my body. I learnt about the importance of exercising and some of us lost good calories, as in work and no play make a lawyer dull.
The lectures impressed me a lot also, as emerging trends in legal practice were discussed and members of Onitsha Branch of the NBA were exposed to the lucrative nature of these emerging trends.
“We can achieve the theme of this law week and save the legal profession from infiltration through the following:
“The NBA should champion the cause of protecting their own as well as the judicial officers from abuse emanating from the acts of the executive arm of the Government who violate at will the rule of law and treat the judicial officers and Lawyers with ignominy and with impunity.
“In Nigeria today, the executive arm of government, the Legislature and even the political parties influence the decision making process in the Judiciary, thus infiltrating the legal profession with inferiority complex, and thereby bringing this noble Profession to disrepute.
“ The older Lawyers should try to exhibit standards and conducts worthy of emulation by the Young Lawyers. Lawyers should not wait for one to equip him or her, but equip themselves by identifying their strengths and weaknesses, by embracing the area of law that is of most interest to them.
Know the character/disposition of the Judge they are appearing before in court and conduct themselves as ministers in the temple of justice.
“Young Lawyers should establish good relationships with Senior Lawyers, Judges and their colleagues, and conduct themselves in a prim and proper manner having in mind that they are the future of the legal profession. They should also have the virtue of patience, endurance especially when being mentored by a principal.
“There is a need for Lawyers to participate in continuous legal education for their growth and development in the profession.
“Finally, the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association should continue to sanction Lawyers who go against the ethics of the profession, while the Lawyers through the Nigerian Bar Association should go to any length within the ambit of the Law even if it entails calling in aid the International Law to protect the Legal Profession and the Judicial Officers from infiltration and abuse,” Edozie stated.
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