A paradigm shift in the legal profession

The dis-invitation of Governor Nasir El-Rufai was not accepted in good light by some lawyers. It was not just these lawyers that frowned at the action of the Nigerian Bar Association, even his friend, the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi also felt he should have been given the platform so that he could be interrogated. This has led to the break away faction of the Nigerian Bar Association, called the New Nigeria Bar Association.

Nigerian Bar Association should take a cue from the Sharia brouhaha during the Obasanjo presidency.  To our horror some amputations were done and we thought that the country was heading towards balkanization. President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to ignore the problem. It was a deliberate thing by him as he had confirmed in the book, ‘Making Africa Work’. In that book at page 235, he told a story about how Yerima visited him in his official residence as President and hugged his female cousin. President Obasanjo jokingly remarked to Yerima that his action was not sharia-compliant. Yerima retorted, ,’Didn’t you say that sharia would fizzle out and has it not fizzled out?’ President Obasanjo said that he received more letters on the Sharia issue than any other in his eight-year presidency and it could have been so serious if not handled with care. Likewise, this breakaway faction too should be treated just like that within the profession.

The Nigerian Bar Association is a co-traveler with rule of law. It supports the administration of justice. This year saw a progressive departure from the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association with the victory of an urbane and confident lawyer who is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Olumide Akpata, defeating  two Senior Advocates of Nigeria at the poll. His victory came from years of mentoring younger lawyers and hearing the voice of the voiceless  members of the profession. A continuation of the paradigm shift is the disinvitation of Governor El Rufai. This will serve as a warning to other men of power that you can not fool all the people all the time. The Association is separating the ephemeral from the true values which we should respect.

Henry Van Dyke in his famous poem, Four Things, said Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his record true:

To think without confusion clearly;

To love his fellow -men sincerely;

To act from honest motives purely;

To trust in God and Heaven securely.

If the actions of the New Nigeria Bar Association are sincere and pure, they will withstand the test of time. If however, they are not, the association will melt away like an ice pack approaching the tropics. What I will not support however are those that criticize them for setting up an alternative association. It is good for the development of rule of law if power is not concentrated in one place. The legal profession has been in long need of democratization. We are seeing the beginning of this democratization – who knows where it will all lead to. Perhaps we will soon have the opportunity to belong to the Association which we believe represents our interest better, Northern, Southern, Eastern or Western Bar Association. This could not be possibly bad!! There is nothing wrong in diversity and we must not always agree or hold the same views. This is the very freedom which our Association is based upon.