A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Barr. Ngozi Olehi has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to formulate a comprehensive code of political behaviour for lawyers in politics in the country.
This will subject deviants amongst them to disciplinary mechanisms if they swerve from social engineering functions that public service offers to lawyers as the foremost professionals in Nigeria.
Delivering a Key-Note Speech titled “From Ruins To Reform: Action Plans Towards Ethical Rebirth Of The Legal Profession In Nigeria” at a CLASFON Seminar in Owerri, Barr. Olehi, regretted that Nigeria has crashed because, among other things, lawyers in politics who ought to have applied the transformative tools of social engineering and the rule of law to reverse the political and economic glooms and misfortunes that have befallen Nigeria, instead joined corrupt leaders to impoverish Nigeria.
He said the NBA’s motto, “To Promote Rule of Law” was the economic development tool that Singapore’s political leadership used to transform, within few years, her shattered economy, fought corruption and halted poverty after the country’s independence and de-merger from Malaysia.
He expressed regret that Nigeria’s governance, economy and security have kept worsening in spite of rich rule of law resources and laws that can halt the inexcusable debilitations.
Olehi said studies have confirmed the inexorable link between rule of law and economic development and foreign direct investment without which it is impossible to entrench a stable private sector driven economy.
He lamented that Nigeria, where her Legal Practitioners are obliged to observe and promote the Rule of Law, is always at the rear in global Rule of Law rankings with poor and less populated countries, particularly in West Africa being ahead of Nigeria in global rule of law standing.
He said: “The 2024 WJP Rule of Law Index evaluated 142 countries and jurisdictions around the world with Nigeria scoring 120th out of 142 countries evaluated. Niger, Liberia and Togo7 scored higher than Nigeria, ranking 114th, 109th and 106th respectively”.
According to him this ranking is anchored on four universal principles of the Rule of Law to wit: Accountability, Just Laws, Open Government and Accessible/Impartial Justice with nine factors, namely: 1. Constraints of Government Powers, 2. Absence of Corruption, 3. Open Government, 4. Fundamental Rights, 5. Order and Security, 6. Regulatory Enforcement, 7. Civil Justice, 8. Criminal Justice and 9. Informal Justice.
The Senior Advocate pointed out that breach of the NBA’s Rules of Professional Conduct is observed more in breach while he warned that if the trend is not abated immediately, the legal profession will shortly be stripped of its nobility, dignity and prestige in view of the changing patterns of public perception of the profession hitherto revered by both elites and non-elites.
Olehi called for strengthening of disciplinary processes of the Nigerian Bar Association, particularly from the Branch levels and reminded lawyers that as officers of the court and ministers in the temple of justice, their obligation is more to the court to dispense justice no matter whose ox is gored.
The occasion was chaired by Hon. Justice Alma Eluwa while the discussants of the keynote address were Hon Justice I. M. Njaka, Associate Prof. Chizoba Okpara and Barr. Mrs E.O. Echebima.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE