The year 2017 was a very eventful year for the NBA. It recorded
land mark developments and orchestrated setbacks. In the outgone
year, the NBA in the course of delivering it’s agenda of “ A Brave
New Bar” encapsulated in the “3R’s and P” delivered on the
following promises .
(A) Report and proposed bill (Legal Profession Regulation Bill)
on the harmonious regulation of the Nigerian Legal Profession by
the Legal Practitioner’s Regulation Review Committee headed by
Anthony Idigbe, SAN,
(B) Partnerships with some professional bodies {such as ,
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Chartered
Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), with the aim of building
the capacity of lawyers in finance, accounting and related
activities, partnership with some law societies of other
jurisdictions ( United States of America, South Africa, England and
Wales, Singapore,Australia etc.) to align the NBA with
international best practices and also create opportunities for
mentoring of young lawyers,
(C) World Class NBA conference held in Lagos under the
chairmanship of Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN where outstanding
innovations in content, sophistications, organisation and logistics
were brought to the NBA Annual General Conference,
(D) a conference of all stakeholders on the Administration of
Criminal Justice in Nigeria which held in Abuja with the aim of
domesticating the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 in
the remaining 28 states across the nation that are yet to
domesticate the Act.
(E) Partnership with the SDG Office and Legal Aids Council on
delivery of pro Bono Services across Nigeria.
Boosting the morales of staff of the National Secretariat by the
commencement of contributory pension scheme and provision of
Personnel Policy Manual and Employees Handbook for appointment,
promotion and discipline of NBA staff.
On the negative side,the NBA had some setbacks which included
unprecedented litigations against the NBA by members seeking to
undermine the good works of the current leadership.
Needless and acrimonious leadership tussles in different
branches which has the tendency of turning the NBA to a political
Association with the risk of losing our core values. However, with
the help of many of our colleagues, we have been able to surmount
these setbacks to an extent and reposition ourselves on the right
track in delivering our mandates to the Bar.
On a very sad note, 2017 witnessed an alarming growth in the use
of indecorous,indecent ,uncivil and uncouth languages against the
leadership of the Bar on social media platforms particularly among
the young lawyers leveraging on their so called right to contribute
to various issues affecting or relating to the Bar.Many NBA
platforms are used for disinformation, outlandish lies, fiction and
deliberate distortion of facts. Myths and hearsay have
characterised comments on social media and well respected Leaders
of the profession were vilified with impunity. This unethical
conduct will no longer be accepted and erring members will
henceforth be appropriately sanctioned.
The President urges our Colleagues to adhere strictly to the
Rules of Professional Conduct with the aim of maintaining high
ethical standards within the profession.
Members are encouraged to treat one another with respect
,decorum and avoid act(s) that’s unbecoming of learned mind.
The leadership is committed to addressing the incidence of
indiscipline within the profession decisively .
We urge our colleagues especially those with genuine grievances
of whatever nature to channel same through the established organs
of the Bar.
In 2018, we shall give attention to the completion of the NBA
house and settle outstanding liabilities within available
resources.
We will not lose sight of our priority of repositioning the NBA
and making it one of the foremost Bar Associations in the
world.
This last year has had a significant impact on all of us, but we
would like to thank you all for your significant support and
dedication during these challenging times. The new year will bring
its own challenges but we are sure by working together, keeping
focussed on our priorities and putting the interest of the NBA
first we can realise our ambitions..
We appreciate the unending support this administration has
received from our noble colleagues and will continue to seek your
support in sustaining the brave new bar.
Please accept our very best wishes to you and your family for a
prosperous and rewarding 2018.
Dated this 1st Day of January 2018.
Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju
General Secretary, NBA
The year 2017 was a very eventful year for the NBA. It recorded
land mark developments and orchestrated setbacks. In the outgone
year, the NBA in the course of delivering it’s agenda of “ A Brave
New Bar” encapsulated in the “3R’s and P” delivered on the
following promises .
(A) Report and proposed bill (Legal Profession Regulation Bill)
on the harmonious regulation of the Nigerian Legal Profession by
the Legal Practitioner’s Regulation Review Committee headed by
Anthony Idigbe, SAN,
(B) Partnerships with some professional bodies {such as ,
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Chartered
Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), with the aim of building
the capacity of lawyers in finance, accounting and related
activities, partnership with some law societies of other
jurisdictions ( United States of America, South Africa, England and
Wales, Singapore,Australia etc.) to align the NBA with
international best practices and also create opportunities for
mentoring of young lawyers,
(C) World Class NBA conference held in Lagos under the
chairmanship of Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN where outstanding
innovations in content, sophistications, organisation and logistics
were brought to the NBA Annual General Conference,
(D) a conference of all stakeholders on the Administration of
Criminal Justice in Nigeria which held in Abuja with the aim of
domesticating the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 in
the remaining 28 states across the nation that are yet to
domesticate the Act.
(E) Partnership with the SDG Office and Legal Aids Council on
delivery of pro Bono Services across Nigeria.
Boosting the morales of staff of the National Secretariat by the
commencement of contributory pension scheme and provision of
Personnel Policy Manual and Employees Handbook for appointment,
promotion and discipline of NBA staff.
On the negative side,the NBA had some setbacks which included
unprecedented litigations against the NBA by members seeking to
undermine the good works of the current leadership.
Needless and acrimonious leadership tussles in different
branches which has the tendency of turning the NBA to a political
Association with the risk of losing our core values. However, with
the help of many of our colleagues, we have been able to surmount
these setbacks to an extent and reposition ourselves on the right
track in delivering our mandates to the Bar.
On a very sad note, 2017 witnessed an alarming growth in the use
of indecorous,indecent ,uncivil and uncouth languages against the
leadership of the Bar on social media platforms particularly among
the young lawyers leveraging on their so called right to contribute
to various issues affecting or relating to the Bar.Many NBA
platforms are used for disinformation, outlandish lies, fiction and
deliberate distortion of facts. Myths and hearsay have
characterised comments on social media and well respected Leaders
of the profession were vilified with impunity. This unethical
conduct will no longer be accepted and erring members will
henceforth be appropriately sanctioned.
The President urges our Colleagues to adhere strictly to the
Rules of Professional Conduct with the aim of maintaining high
ethical standards within the profession.
Members are encouraged to treat one another with respect
,decorum and avoid act(s) that’s unbecoming of learned mind.
The leadership is committed to addressing the incidence of
indiscipline within the profession decisively .
We urge our colleagues especially those with genuine grievances
of whatever nature to channel same through the established organs
of the Bar.
In 2018, we shall give attention to the completion of the NBA
house and settle outstanding liabilities within available
resources.
We will not lose sight of our priority of repositioning the NBA
and making it one of the foremost Bar Associations in the
world.
This last year has had a significant impact on all of us, but we
would like to thank you all for your significant support and
dedication during these challenging times. The new year will bring
its own challenges but we are sure by working together, keeping
focussed on our priorities and putting the interest of the NBA
first we can realise our ambitions..
We appreciate the unending support this administration has
received from our noble colleagues and will continue to seek your
support in sustaining the brave new bar.
Please accept our very best wishes to you and your family for a
prosperous and rewarding 2018.
Dated this 1st Day of January 2018.
Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju
General Secretary, NBA
Read more https://nairalaw.com/new-year-statement-from-nba-national-secretariat/