Dear Learned
Friends,
I have just received
a Whatsapp text from a junior colleague I respect so much given his learnedness and
civility. He is not into Cultism although his friend “uncleared” for the office
of the NBA President. This particularly
respectful and respected junior is a prominent member of NBA Abuja Branch. I
will not mention his good name However I seek to address his query by this open reply for us all.
My Learned
Colleague in whom am well pleased is very cordial with Lawyers generally; he wrote
to me this Tuesday morning in effect that I said Arthur Obi Okafor’s email on women
and young lawyers enthralled and also
Ernest Ojukwu’s proposal on free NBA Stamps and seal for members who pay
their bar practice fees. Actually Arthur Obi Okafor made a similar proposal on
free stamps but it does appear Ojukwu’s emphasis is, the NBA stamps come free
and members would receive same digitally upon payment of BPF. The challenge there is the stamps are meant
to be self-adhesive hence digital stamps may not work. I thank Prof Ojukwu for his great ideas moving
the NBA forward via his proposal on digital stamps, a couple of days ago.
Let us look to see
who makes a proposal to implement NBA Stamps and seal at the various land
registries with a view to increasing work on legal documentation for leases, assignments,
mortgages etc. I did long ago indicate that the Legal Practitioners
Remuneration Order (LPRO) 1990 which
specifies a charge for solicitors work is Great! Because if you prepared a deed of assignment and the
consideration is say N200Million your fee would come to say N20M or thereabout.
NBA should work to protect legal jobs in addition to flushing out fake lawyers.
Those who encroach on legal work are not NBA-Friendly.
I did a few days
ago also expressed gratitude re: Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN )’s proposal for women
and young lawyers he said he would ‘genderize’ NBA committees, statutory
bodies, NEC. He also sought to reduce
certain AGC fees. Additionally, he proposed to amend the NBA Constitution to
bring in learned juniors between 7-9 years post-call into NEC and I did say
that is great. I made NEC at a slightly younger age and was actually the
youngest Lawyer of NEC 1990-1991. Thanks to NBA Presidents Priscilia Kuye and
Clement Akpamgbo SAN.
With respect to Paul
Usoro SAN the most senior, most savvy of
all the presidential candidates, please let me say in fairness to USORO SAN he was actually the first this election year to take
a position on female colleagues/ Genderizing
the Bar to the extent AWLA – Association
of Women Lawyers endorsed Paul Usoro SAN months and weeks ago and right here in
OurCountryNigeria internet forum, I commended Paul Usoro severally for his
giant strides on Gender.
I don’t want
Lawyers to keep saying I am not showcasing the good sides of other candidates
because as you know the Dame of the Bar is FAIR. By the way few days ago I saw
a lawyer who never fought a single battle say to Facebook readers - referencing Amazoning NBA. You have to have
professionally wrestled on your own some Titans to earn the sobriquet, AMAZON. It is not when a male lawyer says go
and slap that Gal and you land a dirty slap on her face and you return to report
to sender, done, instruction to slap an
innocent Gal DONE! That makes you an Amazon.
YOU CAN NOT EARN THE AMAZON TITLE CHEAP. It’s alright to slap without a cause
but then it would mean you are just somebody’s good girl, period. NOT AMAZON.
As I was saying to
exemplify FAIR, I brought out positive angles of AOO and EO’s campaigns without
prejudice to my candidate Usoro SAN. We
are in a professional race that brings out the BEST.
Thank you!
C N AJIE ESQ
