Tag: NBA

Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest  and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) Dr. Monday Ubani has urged the executive committee of the association to organise a town hall meeting to consider legal impediments bedeviling public interest litigations.

Ubani lamented that the principle of locus standi is being used by the courts to bar public interest litigants seeking accountability, respect for rule of law and good governance and access to courts.

He made the request in the chairman’s abridged report on the activities of NBA-SPIDEL from 2021 to 2023.

The former Vice President of the NBA urged the leadership of the bar to hold regular townhall meetings to brainstorm on the issue and find meaningful solution.

He said during a brainstorming event, it was generally accepted that for the human rights entrenched in the constitution to be meaningful, socio economic rights must enjoy the same legal recognition of justiciability as have been done in India and other Asian countries.

He suggested that the townhall  meeting must have judges of the Federal High courts in large numbers as they remain the greatest culprits with this principle.

Ubani regretted that despite the  magnanimity of the Supreme Court   to set a record of reversing the earlier rigid position as established in Abraham Adesanya’s case in the latest case of NNPC Vs Centre for Oil Pollution Watch, Nigerian courts at the lower levels are still stuck with the position that courts should interrogate the status of a messenger rather than the message.

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“We need to stop the bad behaviour of our judges in this regard by the sensitisation that I recommend that NBA-SPIDEL should spearhead”, he emphasised.

He recalled: “In 2022, we held a townhall meeting on the justiciability of Socioeconomic rights provided under Chaper Two of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“The hybrid summit had the theme ‘Justiciability of Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution, Pragmatic Measures  for Government Accountability.’ The event was chaired by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju of the Supreme Court. It had the then Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Onuoha Ogwe, Luke Oniofok, Chairman House Committee on Judiciary, Suleiman Usman (SAN), Sokoto then AG, Olawale Fapohunda (SAN), the then Ekiti State AG.

“The then President Mr Olumide Akpata was keen on this subject and did everything to ensure the success of the programme. Mr Femi Falana (SAN) again was the Lead Presenter on the topic.”, he added

Ubani also recalled that NBA-SPIDEL held some important programmes for the entrenchment of proper enlightenment on public interest issues for good governance in NBA and the country generally.

He said when ex parte orders and forum shopping became disturbing trend that painted the legal profession in bad light, the section rose to the occasion and held a Webinar in 2021 that had a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice  Rhodes Vivour, former President of NBA Mr J.B. Daudu SAN, AGF Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Justin Anayo Offiah (SAN), Olumide Akpata, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) in attendance.

“They agreed that this abuse is usually rampant in election cases especially in pre election matters. They all condemned the abuse and variously prescribed punitive measures to stem the tide”, he said.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Shaibu Aruwa has charged the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) to ensure that the body is not pocketed by the Department of State Services (DSS) under his watch.

Aruwa in a statement, reacted to the recent altercation between DSS and Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) officers which ensued at the Federal High Court in Lagos on July 25 after the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The DSS operatives and officials of the NCoS engaged in fisticuffs over custody of Emefiele.

The lawyer reasoned that the NBA’s statement should have reflected exactly what transpired, not an altercation or a clash, adding that it ought to have sympathised with the NCoS officer who was brutalised.

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The statement reads: “Mr. President Sir, I have just read your statement on behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association regarding ‘the despicable altercation’ between the personnel of the DSS and officers of the NCoS and the call to hold the heads of the two security agencies accountable.

“Respectfully Mr. President, I feel the statement of the NBA failed to reflect the visual of ‘the despicable altercation’ in circulation as captured by the electronic, print, and social media.

“What happened clearly was an attack brazenly carried out by men of the DSS on an officer of the NCoS; the NBA statement should have reflected what it is and not an altercation or a clash.

“One can only imagine the anguish of the family, colleagues, and loved ones of the NCoS officer who was a victim of the thuggish display by the personnel of the DSS which may be made worse by the statement of the NBA.”

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Women Forum has restated its commitment to boosting the professional development of members.

It stated this at its Fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Abuja as part of the NBA Annual General Conference.

The Chairperson, Mrs. Chinyere Okorocha, after welcoming the members, the exco, the governing council, committee officers, the state leads and branch facilitators, said the past year has been one of growth, resilience, and remarkable achievements for members.

She highlighted activities of the past year, which include conferences, webinars and welfare and advocacy programmes, and identified resource constraints and funding as some of the Forum’s challenges.

On upcoming plans, the chairperson said she would continue to focus on personal and professional development, advocacy, and creating opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Mrs. Okorocha said plans were underway to create detailed guidelines and bylaws to enhance the organisational foundation of the Forum.

The chairperson promised to establish new partnerships to facilitate cross-border knowledge sharing, dynamic seminars, and collaborative ventures geared towards empowering members of the Forum.

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She informed members of the global partnerships and exchanges which expand on the agreement with the New York State Bar Women in Law Section.

Mrs. Okorocha stressed the need to strengthen the Forum’s mentorship programme, adding that more accomplished female lawyers will connect with emerging talents to foster the exchange of insights and advice and enhance career growth.

Thanking members for their support, she said: “Your commitment is truly appreciated. Our association thrives on every voice and perspective for collective growth.

“Thanks for your dedication to our vision and role in our successful Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum. We’re creating a story of empowerment and success, ensuring a bright future.”

The Secretary, Mrs. Ini Irene Pepple, said two new committees have been created: Corporate Counsel and Public Sector.

She said there is a plan for a webinar on the challenges faced by young female lawyers in the North; live discussion on Twitter Spaces on the challenges of young female lawyers in the workplace and how to grow their client base, scheduled for next month; and a Facebook live series on soft skills, scheduled for December, among others.

Mrs. Pepple added: “This current administration has effectively capitalised on the accomplishments of its predecessor, and we are committed to further augmenting our efforts with the unwavering backing of our esteemed members.

“I wish to extend my special appreciation to all the state leads and branch facilitators whose dedicated endeavours have been instrumental in realising the Forum’s objectives at the grassroots level.

“I urge those who have encountered obstacles hindering their effectiveness not to lose heart, but rather to persistently labour towards the empowerment of female lawyers within their respective states and branches, fostering their success she noted.”

In the light of allegations and counter allegations following the recently concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC), Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) has called for reforms to end the culture of “free meals”, curb corruption and financial recklessness in the Bar.

In the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, annual general conference, there were some troubling revelations which were not new, but which took a public show of what appears to be washing our dirty linens in the public.

Some of our national officers accused the President of NBA of not allowing them to perform their statutory duties. In the most commendable matured approach the president allowed them to air their grievances publicly. He did not stop them. This is commendable I must say.

Then it was the turn of the president to react. He gave reasons for his actions. Some of these reasons bothered on financial profligacy. That these national officers wanted to share NBA money for nothing. He gave statistics.

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Now these allegations and counter accusations are not new in NBA. I will not go into historical details. We all know. Some lawyers are experts in NBA elections. They graduate from one office to the other. There must be some reasons for always wanting to “serve” in perpetuity.

But I think time has come for more responsible and accountable leadership in NBA. We need to screen thoroughly those who want to lead the NBA. What are their capacities and professional intergrity. It appears to me that many lawyers who go into NBA offices either at National or Branches are doing so because of free meals in NBA offices.

When NBA was vibrant and a very responsible and a very respectful association, there were no free meals in the association. Leaders and NEC members paid their ways to attend NEC meetings. There were no free accommodations for National officers and NEC members.

Everyone paid for his or her accommodations to attend NBA meetings. Some seniors members were willing and ready to assist some of their juniors to attend meetings. Senior lawyers were accorded due respect. These senior lawyers were guiding lights of the profession. Serious issues were discussed and enforced. Attending NEC meeting was for serious business. It was not for social jamborees.

But since we adopted the policy of payment for accommodations for branch chairmen and secretaries from national purse for those who put themselves forward to serve the association that our problems of jamborees started. Today there is open corruption in NBA. Some branches cannot account for branch dues and money.

Again, we started to monetise the elections of our colleagues to lead our association. Those jostling to lead the Bar corrupt their ways to be elected. Those who are to vote demand for bribes in many forms to vote for candidates they extorted from. Leadership recruitment in NBA has become very faulty and has unprofessionally been monetised.

Now that we are going to have new national officers next year those who have their eyes on what they want to gain not the services they want to rendered to members of the legal profession and the association, have started unsolicited morning salutations and have suddenly turned emergency humanists and human right crusaders.

Honestly the hypocrisy in NBA has lowered the reputation of the profession in grave geometrical proportions. We have closed our eyes to the rots in the profession and things are not well with NBA. We have stomach so many things that are wrong. The sores we keep tolerating in the profession is gradually leading to professional amputation of the credibility and nobility of the profession. We are no more taken serious by any right thinking members of the society. We have been grouped amongst the rogues in the society.

The free meal in NBA has turned the association to a laughing stock. Time for all of us to agree to return the Association to its past vibrant glory is now. The recruitment processes to national and branch leadership must be thoroughly reviewed. Those jostling to lead NBA at national and branch levels must be scrutinized. Today NBA has been divided. Senior members of the profession are endangered species now. The reverend rank of SAN is now a crime for leadership.

Yet this division was promoted for leadership positions. Even within the revered rank of silk, some encouraged some lawyers to disrespect elders just because of ambition to lead NBA. We cannot rubbish our best just for two years tenure in office. The traditional respect in the bar appears to have gone. Anyone can just wake up and want to be president of NBA.

There is a need to stop free meal in NBA. Let those who want to lead the Bar do so from their pockets. They should pay their ways to conferences. There is no need for sitting allowances. If you know you can’t foot your bills, don’t aspire to lead the Bar. NBA free meal must be stopped before it totally rubbished the noble profession. This is my thought. Correct me if am wrong.