You are vying for the chairmanship of the Premier Bar,
Lagos Branch of the NBA. What will you bring on board if voted in
to chair Nigeria’s largest branch of the NBA? Why should members
vote for you?
My “Contract with Premier Bar” is premised on a Three-point
Agenda, namely: Sustainable institutional and organizational
development; Professional development, and Structured stakeholders
engagement.
Our “Sustainable institutional and organizational development”
is geared towards an overhaul of our secretariat to ensure that it
is not only keenly aware of its deliverables to our teeming
members, but has the competence and capacity to deliver same. We
shall embark on this all-important project through aggressive
capacity building and retooling of the entire secretariat. We will
place premium on feedback from members in delivering this
project.
On Professional Development, we plan to deliver quality but
affordable Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programmes to our
members. A Mentorship Scheme will be developed for our younger
colleagues. This is aimed at equipping them for 21stcentury
practice and reversing the declining confidence in the
profession.
A myriad of challenges confront the average legal practitioner
on a daily basis. As the alter ego of my law practice, I have a
hands-on experience in this regard. Whether in litigation practice,
probate or the like, challenges abound. We will confront the
challenges faced by our members in accessing their Stamp head-on.
We shall confront these issues head-on through a deliberate,
solution-focused and sustained engagement with all key stakeholders
such as the Judiciary, Lands Registry, Attorney-General’s Office,
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), to name a few. This is aimed to
reduce the hardships faced by our members as well as deepen
employment for lawyers.
One complaint by most members of the branch is that they are being
forced to pay exorbitant fees as ‘Building Fund’ to erect the
branch secretariat. How would you deal with this thorny issue if
voted in?
We must commend the out-going Chairman and his entire team for
their foresight in purchasing a property for the Bar Centre. In a
recessed economy, paucity of funds is a major challenge. It is
noteworthy that some members have started paying for this
all-important Bar Centre which will be a game-changer of sorts for
us all when the facility is eventually built. I am committed to
complete the Bar Centre project if elected. We will deliver the
project through collaborative engagement with critical stakeholders
including banks and other blue-chip companies. Many of our senior
colleagues have long committed to this project. The branch already
has their goodwill and support among others.
Issues of accountability and transparency have trailed
many branches of the association in the past years, and Lagos
Branch has had its fair share of this. How would you ensure this
mistrust of branch leadership is settled permanently?
Transparency and probity are inviolate values for any association
that must survive and prosper. I must say that we have been lucky
in Lagos Branch in this regard. We have not really witnessed any
major scandals. Proper accounts are usually rendered at the end of
each project to members for scrutiny.
It was the inimitable Helen Keller who said that “Character
cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of
trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition
inspired, and success achieved.” In my experience as Vice Chairman
during the 2007 National Conference in Lagos and as Secretary of
the NBA Lagos Law Week Committee among others, proper books of
account have been kept. Also, as President of the National Catholic
Lawyers Association (NACL) in Lagos among others, I always placed
premium on proper accounting practices and procedures. We must
continue on this trajectory. It is a no brainer for a comity of
lawyers.
There presently appears to be a palpable discontent
between the NBA National Executive and the Lagos branch over this
election. What will be your strategy of resolving the differences
between the Branch and its parent body?
As lawyers, we preach negotiation and amicable settlement to lay
persons. It cannot be otherwise. The Premier Bar is the largest
branch in the NBA system. I am confident that through dialogue and
confidence building, we shall overcome this temporary setback.
How realistic is the Housing Scheme which you have made
a major point in your campaign?
It is very realistic. A housing scheme is critical for many lawyers
in light of the humongous housing deficit in Nigeria. The
financials have been thoroughly worked out to ensure that it is
deliverable. As we deepen employment and earnings for our members,
it will also assist most lawyers to key into the scheme.
What would be your first steps and action within the
first three months of being elected?
The first week will see us constituting committees headed by
seasoned technocrats as well as strengthening the secretariat to be
able to deliver our programmes to members. We will operate on a
template of annual programmes. We shall also host a “Town Hall
Meeting” to aggregate hands-on feedback from our members and more
importantly, get their buy-in as well as afford them the
opportunity to own the process. We will hit the ground running from
day one.
You are vying for the chairmanship of the Premier Bar,
Lagos Branch of the NBA. What will you bring on board if voted in
to chair Nigeria’s largest branch of the NBA? Why should members
vote for you?
My “Contract with Premier Bar” is premised on a Three-point
Agenda, namely: Sustainable institutional and organizational
development; Professional development, and Structured stakeholders
engagement.
Our “Sustainable institutional and organizational development”
is geared towards an overhaul of our secretariat to ensure that it
is not only keenly aware of its deliverables to our teeming
members, but has the competence and capacity to deliver same. We
shall embark on this all-important project through aggressive
capacity building and retooling of the entire secretariat. We will
place premium on feedback from members in delivering this
project.
On Professional Development, we plan to deliver quality but
affordable Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programmes to our
members. A Mentorship Scheme will be developed for our younger
colleagues. This is aimed at equipping them for 21stcentury
practice and reversing the declining confidence in the
profession.
A myriad of challenges confront the average legal practitioner
on a daily basis. As the alter ego of my law practice, I have a
hands-on experience in this regard. Whether in litigation practice,
probate or the like, challenges abound. We will confront the
challenges faced by our members in accessing their Stamp head-on.
We shall confront these issues head-on through a deliberate,
solution-focused and sustained engagement with all key stakeholders
such as the Judiciary, Lands Registry, Attorney-General’s Office,
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), to name a few. This is aimed to
reduce the hardships faced by our members as well as deepen
employment for lawyers.
One complaint by most members of the branch is that they are being
forced to pay exorbitant fees as ‘Building Fund’ to erect the
branch secretariat. How would you deal with this thorny issue if
voted in?
We must commend the out-going Chairman and his entire team for
their foresight in purchasing a property for the Bar Centre. In a
recessed economy, paucity of funds is a major challenge. It is
noteworthy that some members have started paying for this
all-important Bar Centre which will be a game-changer of sorts for
us all when the facility is eventually built. I am committed to
complete the Bar Centre project if elected. We will deliver the
project through collaborative engagement with critical stakeholders
including banks and other blue-chip companies. Many of our senior
colleagues have long committed to this project. The branch already
has their goodwill and support among others.
Issues of accountability and transparency have trailed
many branches of the association in the past years, and Lagos
Branch has had its fair share of this. How would you ensure this
mistrust of branch leadership is settled permanently?
Transparency and probity are inviolate values for any association
that must survive and prosper. I must say that we have been lucky
in Lagos Branch in this regard. We have not really witnessed any
major scandals. Proper accounts are usually rendered at the end of
each project to members for scrutiny.
It was the inimitable Helen Keller who said that “Character
cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of
trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition
inspired, and success achieved.” In my experience as Vice Chairman
during the 2007 National Conference in Lagos and as Secretary of
the NBA Lagos Law Week Committee among others, proper books of
account have been kept. Also, as President of the National Catholic
Lawyers Association (NACL) in Lagos among others, I always placed
premium on proper accounting practices and procedures. We must
continue on this trajectory. It is a no brainer for a comity of
lawyers.
There presently appears to be a palpable discontent
between the NBA National Executive and the Lagos branch over this
election. What will be your strategy of resolving the differences
between the Branch and its parent body?
As lawyers, we preach negotiation and amicable settlement to lay
persons. It cannot be otherwise. The Premier Bar is the largest
branch in the NBA system. I am confident that through dialogue and
confidence building, we shall overcome this temporary setback.
How realistic is the Housing Scheme which you have made
a major point in your campaign?
It is very realistic. A housing scheme is critical for many lawyers
in light of the humongous housing deficit in Nigeria. The
financials have been thoroughly worked out to ensure that it is
deliverable. As we deepen employment and earnings for our members,
it will also assist most lawyers to key into the scheme.
What would be your first steps and action within the
first three months of being elected?
The first week will see us constituting committees headed by
seasoned technocrats as well as strengthening the secretariat to be
able to deliver our programmes to members. We will operate on a
template of annual programmes. We shall also host a “Town Hall
Meeting” to aggregate hands-on feedback from our members and more
importantly, get their buy-in as well as afford them the
opportunity to own the process. We will hit the ground running from
day one.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/my-contract-with-premier-bar-ezeala/