Why The Bar Should Be Ashamed Of Magistrates Who Are Ashamed Of Respecting And Identifying Themselves With The Bar
Why The Bar Should Be Ashamed Of Magistrates Who Are Ashamed Of Respecting And Identifying Themselves With The Bar
By Ndi Aquaisua, Esq.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is a non-profit, umbrella professional Association for all lawyers admitted to the bar in Nigeria. The Nigerian Bar Association has over 120 Branches nationwide and all lawyers are supposed to identify with the Association.
Lawyers are not only required to register with a Branch of NBA that is closest to them but to also dentify with the Branch by taking Bar activities seriously. Taking Bar activities seriously include: consistency in the payment of Bar Practicing Fee (BPF), payment of Branch welfare dues, attending Bar meetings/other activities of the Branch, attending the Association's Annual General Conference (AGC) etc.
The Branch's monthly Bar meeting is very important in the legal profession because it gives avenue for both practicing and non-practicing lawyers to meet, unite, interact, network and unwind. It also gives lawyers the opportunity to know the state of the Bar and our nation that we are supposed to protect.
Kindly recall that the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, Uyo Branch during the Branch's monthly Bar meeting held on Friday, 27th August, 2021 had passed a Resolution and resolved that henceforth, Special Court Sessions will only be organised by the Branch in honour of deceased colleagues who were:
i. Financial members of the Branch;
ii. Attended Bar Meetings and were actively involved and consistently participating in Branch activities during their lifetime.
The import of this is to show that if you identify with the Branch and take its activities seriously, the Branch will also identify with you when the need arises.
In my view, Judicial officers (judges/Justices), extreme old age, sickeness and committed Bar men outside the Country should be the only people that should not be affected by the above Resolution of the Branch.
Upon a cursory look into the Resolution of the Branch, I did not see where Magistrates, lawyers holding public offices and non-practicing lawyers were exempted from identifying with the Branch during its monthly Bar meetings and also contributing their quota towards the development of the Branch and the Association as a whole.
Magistrates are legal practitioners and have the right to return to practice after their Magistracy. I am also of the view that any Magistrate, lawyer holding public office and non-practicing lawyers that are not financially committed members of their Branch and also fail to respect and identify with their respective NBA Branches during its monthly Bar meetings should not expect the Branch to identify with them when the need arises.
A lot of Magistrates are fond of sitting on last Fridays of the month. This clearly shows a total disregard to the Branch which holds its monthly Bar meeting every last Friday of the month. When these Magistrates start attending Bar Meetings, Magistrate courts will no longer be sitting when the Branch's monthly Bar Meeting is ongoing.
It will certainly be difficult for the Branch to survive when every member decides to disassociate himself from Bar activities by thinking that being a financially committed Bar man and attending Bar meetings is a waste of time.
Using Uyo Branch as a case study, it is very unfortunate to come to terms that Uyo Branch has been unable to buy a bus and also complete its Branch Secretariat building due to the non involvment in Branch activities by a lot of members including Magistrates, lawyers holding public offices and non-practicing lawyers.
Since today is Sunday, I conclude by quoting the book of Luke 9:26 (New International Version) thus: "whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels". AMEN.
