Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches and senior lawyers stepped up efforts to lift the vulnerable in their ranks followed the near nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of (COVID-19). Some also called on the association to set up a lawyers’ trust fund, among others as provided in its constitution. Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU reports.
But for the intervention of some branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and some senior lawyers to alleviate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown, many young lawyers would have had hunger, starvation and hardship to contend with in the last two weeks.
President Muhammadu Buhari had announced a total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on March 30, for 14 days, to check the spread of COVID-19.
This, no doubt, brought unprecedented suffering to many Nigerians, including lawyers, especially the young ones, under 10 years post- call, because businesses in the affected cities were locked down during the period.
To alleviate the suffering of their members, many branches of the NBA and some senior lawyers donated cash and materials to ameliorate the impact of the lockdown within their branches. Each branch addressed the challenge according to its capacity and many lawyers donated according to the depth of their pockets.
Need for a trust fund
Some lawyers, including a former National Welfare Officer of the NBA, Mr. Adesina Adegbite, praised the lawyers and called for the establishment of a lawyers’ trust fund to address the financial challenges of lawyers in times of serious financial need.
Adegbite said: “Let me quickly place on record my appreciation to all branches of the NBA that provided assistance and/or palliatives to vulnerable members and to all the good-spirited and distinguished colleagues who also assisted lawyers with cash and food items at this trying period. I was greatly moved by some branches that even took up the added responsibility of delivering the items to the lawyers in their homes. I pray that the almighty God will replenish and reward you all abundantly.
“The impact of this unforeseen event on lawyers and the legal practice had made it even more imperative to establish and prioritise a robust and comprehensive welfare scheme for lawyers, especially the vulnerable among us.
“It is axiomatic that the first and preeminent instinct of man is self preservation. The reason we came together as an association is basically to accentuate this instinct. It is, therefore, expected of our association to uphold this ideal by making provisions for the essential needs of her members.
“We know as a fact that the current pandemic has adversely impacted every segment of society. In our case, the young lawyers, who even before the crisis have been grappling with daunting challenges, are severely affected. This inevitably has called for greater responsibility and intervention from our senior rich colleagues.
At this critical time, we must all do more. I am of the firm belief that the association can take a lead in all of this by initiating and organising a trust fund for her members for emergency situations like this.
The Nigerian Bar Association should as a matter of urgency organise a trust fund and urge our rich colleagues to donate money for its sustainability to help the young and less privileged lawyers among us.
“ It is, therefore, incumbent on our senior and privilege colleagues to help. I am confident they would respond to all genuine cause in this respect as shown over the years that they are charitable to members of the association. We have also seen recently how they contributed without prompting to assist some NBA branches like Lagos, Kaduna, Benin, Ungogo, Onitsha, Awka and others.
Access to soft loans
Access to flexible finance options for young lawyers, was another necessity, according to Adegbite
He said: “The second issue I would like NBA to provide is access to soft loans for practitioners in close work relationship with partner banks. Any member of our association who has paid his Bar Practising Fees (BPF) and branch dues for five consecutive years and has attended conferences for five years, too, should be given access to loan from banks that have partnership with NBA.
“Members should have reasons to be proud to belong to an association. They should also have something to motivate them to pay their BPF without prompting. This will put an end to the questions lawyers always ask, ‘what is NBA doing for us?’”
Healthcare assistance
The lawyer also mooted the idea of health assistance for lawyers.
Adegbite said: “The third issue is that the NBA should provide healthcare assistance either to prevent or treat affected lawyers. This will be for all lawyers and will be an enduring legacy.
The scheme will cover members who pay their practising fee before the 31st March of every year. The NBA shall subsidise the premium for any enrollee. This will be deducted from the association’s share of practice fees.”
Minimum wage, more business opportunities for young lawyers
Adegbite also weighed in on the perennial issue of minimum wage for lawyers, among others.
He said: “Modalities should be put on ground for young lawyers to earn money and stop over-dependence on senior colleagues. NBA should set up a committee to fix a minimum price a legal practitioner should charge for preparing a deed. This will reduce the poverty rate of lawyers considerably.
“I am aware that the Surveyors Association of Nigeria has a minimum price for preparing a survey plan. Anywhere you go for a survey plan, nobody will take less than that minimum price.
“This has helped their members considerably. In the NBA, there are no guiding rules and as such while a surveyor will be paid nothing less than N50,000 to prepare a survey plan, some lawyers collect as poor as N10,000 to prepare a deed and when they have problems associated with health or otherwise, they will be looking for assistance.”
He urged lawyers to protect the association “and make her members proud of their membership.
“We can reduce this overdependence on senior and rich lawyers if we provide the enabling environment to make money like their colleagues in other professions. Their remuneration should also improve considerably to enable them save for the rainy day,” Adegbite added.
Senior Lagos Branch members raise N2m
Some senior members of the Lagos branch of the NBA contributed over N2 million to bail out their junior colleagues from the clutches of the pandemic.
A statement signed by the chairman of the branch, Mr. Yemi Akangbe reads: “On behalf of the executive committee of the NBA Lagos Branch, I am happy to announce the donations that we have received from our members including the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), Dele Belgore (SAN), Mr Babajide Ogundipe, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) (with the strict instruction that his own funds should be for juniors in ‘non-SAN’ and ‘non-political aspirant’ law firm(s), and the law firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore. Mr Tony Nwochei of the Law Crest, NBA Lagos Chairman Mr Yemi Akangbe, Mr Dayo Idowu of Olajide Oyewole; Mr. Mayowa Owolabi of Pistis Partners; Mr. Olumide Babalola, Mrs. Sandra Oyewole of Olajide Oyewole; Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) and Dr. Wale Babalakin ( SAN), among others.”
Besides that, the branch also entered an agreement with Hubmart Supermarket to have food packs supplied and delivered to respective recipients.
Akangbe said: “Lawyers in our Branch who need this assistance should please send an email (with evidence of membership of the branch) to tonikeke@yahoo.com and copy chinenye@calmhillpartners.com; onyerumuna@gmail.com; benifeoma@gmail.com; stating your name, phone number and delivery address.
“Please note that this initiative is being administered by the EXCO of the Branch and all information regarding recipients will be treated confidentially and not disclosed to any third party including the donors. I am particularly grateful to all the members of the branch who have come to our aid since the inception of the lockdown, as they have all reached out to us without any prompting from the EXCO.
“We welcome more contributions from well meaning members of the branch in providing welfare support to our members who may need help in these uncertain times. To take forward matters relating to contributions please contact me on 0803 324 7080”.
Akpata’s friends raise N5m
In addition, friends of one of the NBA presidential candidates in the forthcominng elections, Mr. Olu Akpata, set up a N5 million welfare fund for relief materials for 1,000 lawyers within Lagos State. The fund is being managed by the group, their friends and chairmen of NBA branches in Lagos State.
In a chat with The Nation, Akpata said: “In view of the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in lock down orders by government, a group of lawyers who identified themselves as friends of Olumide Akpata have set up a special fund to the tune of N5 million to assist some lawyers within Lagos State who may be negatively affected by the lock down order.
“The closure of law courts and law firms on account of COVID-19 has occasioned disruptions to the livelihood of many lawyers.
“To address the issue of food security for certain categories of lawyers in Lagos State during the lockdown, a group of my friends have, as an initial step, set up a fully-funded N5 million COVID-19 welfare fund
“The fund, working with Shoprite and the various branches of the NBA within Lagos State will deliver Relief Packs to the door steps of 1,000 lawyers who may be most affected.”
On whether he would extend the gesture to other NBA branches, Akpata said it depended on his friends in those places because he lives and practises law in Lagos and his Lagos friends organised the fund.
Mid-West Bar Forum sets up intervention committee
The Mid-West Bar Forum also constituted an intervention committee for the welfare of the Bar forum. The Covid-19 Intervention Committee is to co-ordinate NBA branches in Edo and Delta states.
The committee was constituted in preparation for a united action of all NBA branches of the forum towards helping any branch/members in distress during the lockdown.
Its Chairman, Chike Onyemenam (SAN), said the decision to set up the committee was arrived at by his executive committee after wide consultations with some elders, Bar leaders and Senior Advocates of Nigeria from Edo and Delta states, who pledged the arose.
He said it was because some branches and their members, particularly the young and aged lawyers, might find it almost impossible to cope during the lockdown and it behoved the elders and rich members/branches to unite and come to their aid.
The members of the committee are: Simon Mokidi – chairman; Othadua Okpakpor, Princess Patricia Iyomon; Mrs. Benedicta Okoduwa; Mrs. Philomena Aghade-Ehikwe; all NBA branch chairmen in Edo and Delta states; all N.B.A. Branch secretaries in Edo and Delta states
Onyemenam said: “The terms of reference of the committee is to co-ordinate and work in conjunction with the NBA branches of the Mid-West Bar Forum towards setting up their respective branch committees so as to be prepared to come to the aid of members of their respective branches, particularly, the young and aged members of the forum, during this period of lockdown, whenever the need arises, as has already been done by the NBA Benin branch.
“It is also to get the forum to intervene on behalf of any distressed NBA branch during the said period; to get the forum to intervene on behalf of any distressed member of the forum as may be recommended by the chairman of the branch of the affected member and certified by the committee;
“It is also to coordinate and carry out any other humanitarian aid/activity that the committee deems to be expedient or incidental to the committees’ work; to carry out the above assignment within the confines of the law; and to carry out the above assignment without soliciting for funds outside the forum, save with the voluntary contributions of members who may be moved to contribute when the need arises.”
Fagbemi (SAN) donates N5m in Ibadan
In Ibadan, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) donated N5 million to the NBA Ibadan branch, to be distributed to 250 young lawyers of the Ibadan Bar with one to seven years post-call experience at N20,000 each.
The donation is to assist them during the lockdown.
The Ibadan Bar compiled the names of 240 lawyers to benefit from the fund, but Fagbemi added extra cash so 10 more young lawyers to benefit.
Explaining his gesture in a letter to the branch, the Silk said the stay-at-home order would pose a challenge for young lawyers and expressed his wish that the Bar credited all beneficiaries before the week ran out as he had already paid the money into the NBA Welfare Fund account.
Fagbemi said: “Everybody is aware that the government has ordered citizens to stay at home during this trying period of our national life in order to tame the scourge of the nuisance called coronavirus otherwise called COVID-19.
“While one appreciates the efforts of the government to contain this pandemic disease, one cannot shy away from or gloss over the challenge of hardship posed to our junior colleagues as a result of the lockdown.
“It is against this that I decided to give a token of five million naira to be shared among 250 young lawyers (1-7 years post-call) of Ibadan Bar, at a flat/share rate of N20, 0000 to each member in this age bracket. This is an increase of about 10 above the 240 captured in the estimate you sent to me,” Fagbemi stated in his letter to the branch.
Seniors must support juniors
Also, an Owerri-based lawyer, I. F. Akponye also challenged lawyers to rise to the occasion, especially in the face of the COVID-19 to support young lawyers.
Akponye said: “We are all challenged, but in the evergreen tradition of the Bar, we don’t support because we have, no, we support because we have to.
“To this end I make an immediate token donation of N120,000 in support of Owerri branch lawyers palliative arrangement through the Young lawyers Forum of the Branch.
“This is outside my private support arrangements. Also of immense importance, we have to commend the government for their strong and firm battle against this Covid-19 in Imo State, but we have to call for a relaxation or rearrangement of the market closure to enable access to food stuffs so that our people can eat. We are our voice. God will see us through.”
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