NBA Lagos Branch : Lawyers to engage Lagos on Land Use Charge

The Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
will engage with the state government on the Land Use Charge during
the association’s Law Week, its Chairman, Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, has
said.

According to him, the forum will provide an opportunity for
dialogue.

He said: “Lawyers have complained about challenges they
encounter when they go to register title in Lagos, that there are
issues around personal income taxation.

“So, we’ve made an offer to the Lagos State government to
allocate between 30 to 45 minutes to the government to come and
engage with members.

“On the Land Use charge, at our last branch meeting, we had
someone come to talk to us about it. One of the things that came
out of that engagement was the need for further engagement. That
was what further informed our decision to give them the opportunity
to be part of the law week.”

The branch said it would visit the Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons to
show support for inmates as part of activities for the 2018 Law
week.

The Law Week Planning Committee Chairman, Mr Tola Oshobi (SAN),
told reporters in Lagos that the prison visitation was aimed at
making provisions for the inmates to help improve their quality of
lives.

The theme is: Human capital and the legal profession in the 21st
Century. It will hold from May 5 to May 11.

Oshobi said apart from the prisons visit, the week also include
sessions such as health walk, health screening, registration of
lawyers for the National Identity Card, technical sessions and a
forum for the young lawyers.

On the prisons visit, Oshobi said: “We will be giving out some
gift items to the inmates and make legal representations to some of
them, where necessary,”

He said if the NBA found reasons to make recommendations to the
Chief Judge, the Attorney-General or the prison authorities, it
would do so as part of ways to aid in prison decongestion.

Also, NBA Lagos Chairman, Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, said the various
sessions would be anchored by versatile lawyers in Lagos, while
there would be a social event for the older lawyers in the NBA.

“The human right arm of the NBA ensures provisions of free legal
services for indigent prisons inmates, as this year’s law week
celebration was a slight deviation from the previous years’
activities.,’’ Ikwuazom said.

He said some of the dignitaries expected at the event include
judges, senior lawyers and some legal luminaries from some
international bodies.

On the Bar/Bench forum, Ikwuazom said: “We want to discuss the
peculiar issues that have come out of the National Industrial
Court. We’ll continue to interact with the leadership of the Bench.
Not too long we had the Bar/Bench forum.

“But for the purposes of the Law week, we’re focusing
specifically on Labour issues. There’s a sense among employers of
Labour that the National Industrial Court has been established to
only take care of employees and that its decisions are
anti-employers.

“So it’s those types of issues that we want to have
conversations around. Labour matters are extremely important.”

The NBA chair said the association takes the issue of
professional ethics seriously even if it was not listed for
discussion at the event.

“We have a Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the branch. One
of the innovations we brought is the knowledge sharing sessions as
part of our monthly meetings.

“We bring people to address subjects of importance to our
members. Ethics was discussed in February. So while we may not
accommodate ethics during the Law week, we understand the
importance of the subject and we’ll continue to sensitise our
people about it even outside the Law week event,” Ikwuazom
said.

The Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
will engage with the state government on the Land Use Charge during
the association’s Law Week, its Chairman, Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, has
said.

According to him, the forum will provide an opportunity for
dialogue.

He said: “Lawyers have complained about challenges they
encounter when they go to register title in Lagos, that there are
issues around personal income taxation.

“So, we’ve made an offer to the Lagos State government to
allocate between 30 to 45 minutes to the government to come and
engage with members.

“On the Land Use charge, at our last branch meeting, we had
someone come to talk to us about it. One of the things that came
out of that engagement was the need for further engagement. That
was what further informed our decision to give them the opportunity
to be part of the law week.”

The branch said it would visit the Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons to
show support for inmates as part of activities for the 2018 Law
week.

The Law Week Planning Committee Chairman, Mr Tola Oshobi (SAN),
told reporters in Lagos that the prison visitation was aimed at
making provisions for the inmates to help improve their quality of
lives.

The theme is: Human capital and the legal profession in the 21st
Century. It will hold from May 5 to May 11.

Oshobi said apart from the prisons visit, the week also include
sessions such as health walk, health screening, registration of
lawyers for the National Identity Card, technical sessions and a
forum for the young lawyers.

On the prisons visit, Oshobi said: “We will be giving out some
gift items to the inmates and make legal representations to some of
them, where necessary,”

He said if the NBA found reasons to make recommendations to the
Chief Judge, the Attorney-General or the prison authorities, it
would do so as part of ways to aid in prison decongestion.

Also, NBA Lagos Chairman, Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, said the various
sessions would be anchored by versatile lawyers in Lagos, while
there would be a social event for the older lawyers in the NBA.

“The human right arm of the NBA ensures provisions of free legal
services for indigent prisons inmates, as this year’s law week
celebration was a slight deviation from the previous years’
activities.,’’ Ikwuazom said.

He said some of the dignitaries expected at the event include
judges, senior lawyers and some legal luminaries from some
international bodies.

On the Bar/Bench forum, Ikwuazom said: “We want to discuss the
peculiar issues that have come out of the National Industrial
Court. We’ll continue to interact with the leadership of the Bench.
Not too long we had the Bar/Bench forum.

“But for the purposes of the Law week, we’re focusing
specifically on Labour issues. There’s a sense among employers of
Labour that the National Industrial Court has been established to
only take care of employees and that its decisions are
anti-employers.

“So it’s those types of issues that we want to have
conversations around. Labour matters are extremely important.”

The NBA chair said the association takes the issue of
professional ethics seriously even if it was not listed for
discussion at the event.

“We have a Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the branch. One
of the innovations we brought is the knowledge sharing sessions as
part of our monthly meetings.

“We bring people to address subjects of importance to our
members. Ethics was discussed in February. So while we may not
accommodate ethics during the Law week, we understand the
importance of the subject and we’ll continue to sensitise our
people about it even outside the Law week event,” Ikwuazom
said.