Nigerian Bar Association: An Association For Service To Humanity Rather Than For Business As Usual By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.

The Nigerian Bar Association is an association of lawyers that
is a non-profit making and non-governmental organization. The
Association was registered under the Part C of the
Companies and Allied Matters Act as incorporated
trustees. The Association’s aims and objectives are
as contained in Section 3 of its
Constitution. However, the most surprising thing is
how some lawyers as members of the Association which has branches
across the Federation have turned the Association and its affairs
to a platform for business as usual rather than to serve humanity.
This paper is of the view and aims at remembering those persons
that the Association is not for such business as usual where you
make money rather it is for service to humanity.

The Nigerian Bar Association is supposed to be an association of
lawyers who are ready to serve humanity and for God’s and
humanity’s sake alone. However, the reverse has always or majorly
been the case. Some lawyers see the association as an opportunity
to amass the wealth and the funds of the members. Some of the
leaders or chairmen have been reported by one aggrieved member or
executive member or the other of sidelining them just in order for
those chairmen to be able to embezzle the funds of the branch or of
the association at the national level without other executive
members being aware. If truly there is no skeleton in the cupboard,
why then the shadow leadership?! Why can there be no transparency?!
To worsen the situation, some aspirants of some offices in the NBA
have made a diplomatic and smart way of campaigning by saying that
there are some friends somewhere who have supported them or who
have advised them because of some charismas that those friends have
seen in them! Those aspirants need not be told that they have been
disqualified by virtue of such campaign no matter how they have
clothed the campaign! Campaign is campaign! Let those friends of
other aspirants be aware that campaign is prohibited and even worse
still, the leadership of the association through its electoral
committee has not removed the veil of campaign or by the
constitution of the association. Therefore, members should not be
allowed to regard the constitution as a mere paper and act on their
own whims and caprices!  Section 9(2) of the NBA
Constitution, 2015 (as amended in 2019), is clear on the Election
into the National Offices and by 2^nd Schedule to the
said Constitution, one of those acts that disqualifies a candidate
in an election is ‘The publication, printing or distribution of any
campaign material, gifts and any form of souvenir whatsoever by
a  candidate or his supporter(s) is hereby prohibited and any
candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from
being voted for’. It is my humble submission, with
due respect, that the rising ‘some friends have advised
or supported or called an aspirant to service’ etc, is a form of
campaign! Also, those friends are nothing but the
aspirant’s supporters and not more! Also, it is a way of publicly
putting the aspirant to the public as a contestant! Furthermore,
that act is a form of nomination of that aspirant for election!
Also, it is even worry-some that it is this aspirant who even
disseminates and publishes the said publication by himself! I am of
the view, with due respect, that the opposing aspirant should have
known by now that he has an evidence (documentary) as to why his
opponent should be or ought to be disqualified from contesting in
the election by the Election Committee of the Nigerian Bar
Association (ECNBA), come the year 2020, the ground being unlawful
campaign by his opponent either by himself or by his supporters, as
definitely, those who are your supporters are also your friends!
Furthermore, paragraph 2.5. of the 2^nd
Schedule to the Constitution has provided for the date, at least,
42 clear days before the election date, by which nominations of
candidates must be received! Why the hurry to nominate in November,
2019, when the election is to hold in the month of July of the year
of election of the Association or at such time and place as may be
ratified by the National Executive Committee?! See: paragraph: 2.5.
(ii) of the 2^nd Schedule to the Constitution. 
Even, as of the moment, there is no preliminary notice of election
of the 2020 election year sent to all the branches yet, as provided
for by paragraph 2.5 (i) of the 2^nd Schedule to the
Constitution!

Furthermore, I am of the humble view, with due respect, that
there should be investigation on financial crimes of all heads of
leadership of the NBA at both the national and the branches for
thorough scrutiny as to discovering those who have rather than use
their office to serve have rather used it as business as usual!
This will bring about transparency and accountability! I know very
well that Lawyers’ Network Against
Corruption (LAWNAC) is on
its way to fishing out any of those NBA leadership that must have
taken the advantage of the office that they hold to embezzle and
breed corruption thereby destroying the Association!

Corruption in the NBA is a way of destruction! The wealth in the
NBA at all levels should rather be channeled towards capacity
building of young lawyers and to build confidence in the public
about lawyers! How are we concerned as to how some of the members
of the NBA have breached the trust that the public or their clients
have in them?! Some members (especially seniors) capitalise on the
so called ‘cabal’ who are not ready to
serve humanity but are ready to do the business as usual with the
NBA office and then, become incapable of championing the aims and
objectives of the Association, to commit atrocities and those
evil-doing lawyers would always get away with their unethical
conducts!

Finally, it is important for me to remind myself (as the
Assistant-Secretary of the NBA Abuja Branch- the Unity Bar), the
entire executives of the NBA Abuja Branch (the Unity Bar), all
other executives of all the Branches of the NBA and the National
Officers that the Association is and should be used to serve
humanity defined as members of the Association and the public
interest and that political office should not be used for business
as usual as whatever we do today, we shall account to God Almighty
now or later! Whether we are Muslims or Christians, we must know
and always remind ourselves that corruption is an abomination and
is unacceptable and prohibited by God Almighty!

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