– Say Activist Lacks Mentorship And Decorum Expected In Legal Practice
– Affirms Inibehe As A Convict And Not Merely A Person In Detention
Former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko SAN, has described the conviction and detention of popular human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong as proper and by existing law.
The life benches and Senior Advocate noted that Effiong’s conviction on issues of contempt reveals the personal lapses from the inability of Inibehe to give adequate regard to courts ethics and mentorship in the profession; stressing that the legal profession makes room for decorum and well-oriented professionalism which guides the relationship between the Bar and Bench.
Recall that the human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, was committed to the Correctional Center in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, last month by the Chief Judge of the state.
Effiong had been accused by the Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, of showing disrespect to the authority of the court and as such held for contempt and committed to one month in the correctional center.
Nwoko, SAN, also criticized protests and steps taken to challenge the decision of the Akwa-Ibom court because the acts of the CJ are now concluded, and as such any such redress can only be made to the Court of Appeal, not through demonstration, ‘online threats.
The learned Silk, while briefing newsmen after a court hearing in Uyo, recently, also faulted comments made by the NBA President, Olumide Akpata over the detention of Inibehe.
“I don’t know whether the President (Olumide Akpata) read the release himself because I don’t expect the President of the Nigerian Bar to urge a Judge, who convicted somebody to turn round and release that person after that Judge has become functus officio.
“There is a procedure within our jurisprudence, a person that is not satisfied has the right to appeal… It is rather unexpected and below the expectation of a person of such high office to say that the Chief Judge should have released Inibehe, who is a convict of” the learned silk noted.
According to the life bencher, the leadership of the NBA needs to give closer heed to calls from the Body of Benchers to check unguarded utterances including insults and rude comments within the profession.
The post Fmr Attorney General Of Akwa-Ibom, Nwoko SAN, Faults Calls For Release Of Inibehe Effiong. appeared first on Barristers.NG.