A Lecturer in the Faculty of law, University of Uyo, Ekokoi
Solomon, has voiced his worries over the intense criticisms faced
by the NBA of its failure or refusal to promote the interest of its
members.
According to him, in recent years, the NBA has become more
concerned with taking from its members and giving so little in
return to show for their membership of the Association.
He also lamented how the NBA has changed from a major voice for
the advocacy of Social Justice to just a mere carcass.
According to him “Since yesterday, Wednesday, 15 May 2019, I
have been wrestling with myself whether or not to write this piece.
I finally came to the conclusion that it will be a disservice to my
students, many of whom aspire to become better lawyers, as well as
society if I fail to put this out there.
In recent years, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has come
under intense criticisms of its failure or refusal to promote the
interests of its members, especially its young and unprivileged
members who are treated as though they have no stake in the legal
profession. I have had to offer office space to young lawyers who
say they would rather be on their own than remain under senior
lawyers who treat them like slaves. In fact, in recent years, the
NBA has become more concerned with taking from its members and
giving so little in return to show for their membership of the
association. Yes, the NBA is an association deemed to have been
registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act
(CAMA). The mere mention of the NBA in legislative instruments such
as the Legal Practitioners Act and the Rules of Professional
Conduct for Legal Practitioners does not take away the fact that
the NBA is an association. Albeit, I concede that the NBA is a
professional association in a class of its own. As an “A” rated
association, so much is expected of the NBA. For, to whom much is
given, much is expected. But this is not what we get from the
NBA.
The NBA used to be in the forefront of the struggle for social
justice in Nigeria. It used to be the champion of the people, the
downtrodden. All that appears to be gone for good as a few among
the ranks if the association are the ones profiting using their
status and the name of the association. Today, it appears what is
remaining if the NBA is its carcass. This is why a greater number
of lawyers have continually challenged their own association. They
are threatening what appears to be an unwritten delegated powers of
General Council of the Bar to the NBA, which have been in practice
for a long time.
No one can blame them for doing so. The NBA is failing it’s own
– the growing ranks of lawyers who do not see any need to continue
to surrender their rights to the NBA. Today, similar to what we see
in our country’s politics, some lawyers use their positions in the
NBA to further their personal cause rather than promote the general
interest.
Few weeks ago, I had cause to reply to an email from the NBA
President, using this platform, regarding what appears to be an
attempt to make the failure to pay the Bar Practising Fee on or
before 31st March a professional misconduct. I wondered to my self,
why is the NBA not proactive regarding issues affecting the welfare
and well-being if lawyers especially the underprivileged lawyers.
Why is it always quick to identify and address issues affecting or
likely to affect the financial intake of the association? Yet, each
year, the standard of its deliverables to its members is
continually declining!
A fish begins to rot from the head and time the whole body goes
bad. During the administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio, NGN 100
million was donated to NBA Akwa Ibom State with Uyo and Ikot Ekpene
branches receiving NGN 50 million each. The money was specifically
meant to support the building of their secretariats. Many years
down the line, the secretariats have not been built.
Today, the issue of building a Secretariat for the Uyo branch
has resurfaced and information reaching me has it that certain
individuals who pushed for lawyers to be levied for the purpose of
funding the building project are the same people who know how the
donation that was made by the former governor was expended. If
these individuals had used that donation judiciously, today the
available funds would have been used to put finishing touches to
the proposed building. The burden that is now being put on lawyers
who do not know how the donations were mismanaged or
misappropriated would have avoided if that donation was applied to
undertake the project.
I wish to commend, however, the effort of the current Chairman
of the NBA Uyo, even though I believe that she will do better by
exposing the rot in the previous administrations of the branch
NBA.
The problems facing governance in Nigeria are replicated across
board in the land. The fact that people are lovers of self than the
community they belong, they use their positions to further their
personal interest to the detriment of the community. Individuals
and groups are not insulated from the problems confronting
governance in our country. Corruption has weakened our society. But
we must not forget that corruption has social costs and it’s those
at the lower layer who bear the brunt”