NBA President apologised to Nigerians for abdication of roles

By Vivian Okejeme,  Abuja 

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN, has said that the judiciary had at a large extent contributed to the issues facing the nation.

Maikyau apologizing, held that what the country is currently experiencing is a direct result of the legal profession’s abdication of the duty to provide direction and leadership to the people.

According to him, the apology is necessary because, no other group of professionals is called to the privileged position as the lawyers, which also comes with corresponding responsibility to provide leadership. 

The NBA president made this known, in his welcome address at the NBA, State of the Nation Dialogue held in Abuja with the Theme: Security, Economy and Administration of Justice.

‘’I dare say, with utmost respect, that to a large extent, our experience today as a country is a direct result of the legal profession’s abdication of the duty to provide direction and leadership to the people.

‘’I must therefore, as one who is privileged to lead the Bar at this time, apologise to Nigerians for the abdication of our role. 

“Today, as members of the Bar, we are reputed more for how much fees we charge our clients as opposed to the discharge of our primary call to offer guidance and/or offer ourselves for the advancement of the cause of our country. 

“Let me borrow from a biblical passage to say that “if the members of the legal profession; called to the Bar as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, serving on the Bench and at the Bar, will humble themselves and pray and seek to provide leadership to the people and commit to the advancement of the nation, then shall we, God helping us, turn around the fortunes of this land and begin the recovery, reformation and repositioning of our nation Nigeria” This is my call on all the members of the legal profession in Nigeria.