NBA: OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY AND LAWYER'S WELFARE. | Bayo Akinlade Esq.

 

Let us take a look at what our dear NBA (both national and branches) spends yearly.

NBA National Conference yearly average Expenses... 700 - 900 Million naira. 

NBA sections and fora yearly expenses... 200+ million naira.

NBA branches' yearly Law Week expenses (at least more than 50 NBA branches host a law week yearly)... 100+ million naira. 

OVER 1.5 BILLION NAIRA is spent by the NBA and its branches yearly on conferences and events.

If one were to consider other NBA events such as stand-alone dinners, end of year cocktails, etc... for instance, the Lagos Branch of the NBA has been known to spend more than 30 million naira on one dinner that lasted about 6 hours with less than 500 participants (plus or minus).

Aside from these events, there are committee events as well. Let us not forget the various lawyers' legal and religious associations that also organize annual conferences and lectures. Let us not forget also the numerous international meetings as well.

When we put all these events together, the time and cost of these events, it is not hard to see how this profession has sunk to the depth of irrelevance and complacency.

If nothing works in our judiciary, it is not hard to see why.

If our lawyers are incompetent and corrupt, it is not hard to see why.

If our new generation of lawyers and indeed the older ones are lazy and unprofessional, it is not hard to see why.

If the society no longer regards us but will be happy to go to an uneducated policeman to solve problems or take action, it is not hard to see why.

With half the funds we spend as an association each year on frivolities, what can we do to inspire lawyers, encourage the judiciary, educate our citizens, and generally do to make the profession a little bit more meaningful?

Just like we have a few wasteful politicians running our country, we have a few wasteful so-called, self appraised Bar leaders who cannot see beyond having a good time and hosting carnivals and jamborees.

Meanwhile, some lawyers will have no choice but to stand under trees and ply their trade, hassle to perfect bail, and prey on the weak just to get some money to feed their families.

Our Bar Associations will shamelessly look to foreign partners to run probono services while reserving their internal funds to spend on themselves. They will go out and beg for support to eat dinner but cannot raise funds for a lawyer to take on probono cases to decongest courts and protect the innocent.

One female lawyer is celebrated on BBC for helping innocent people out of jail but guess what, we don't even know what NBA branch she belongs to and if she did belong to an NBA branch, it took a whole BBC to discover her.

Who is bold enough in this legal profession to take a stand? Who has passion enough? Who has the foresight enough to STOP all these wasteful spending and activities?

We have the Judiciary we deserve thus we get the political leaders we created.

THIS NBA SCAM MUST STOP!