This year is crucial for the Bar and the Bench. The Bar will change its leadership after two years while the Head of the judiciary will retire to pave the way for a new Chief Justice of Nigeria. What qualities do you expect from the incoming NBA President?
I expect the incoming President of the Nigerian Bar Association to among other qualities, to be intelligent, innovative, visionary and pragmatic to be able to take the Bar to greater heights. The incoming President must be a consummate Bar man that cuts across all groups of lawyers and should also be active at the local, national, regional, continental and international levels of the legal profession. He must also be conscious of the role the rule of law must perform to stimulate the desired positive change in the Society.
How would you appraise the outgoing leadership of the Bar?
Assessment of the present administration is actually a relative one. One can say that this present administration has performed well especially in the area of stamp and seal, building of the new NBA secretariat and the introduction of universal suffrage. There is however still room for improvement. It is said that the room for improvement is the biggest room in the world and we cannot rest on our oars.
Election of the NBA is some days away and you are a strong contender. What value do you intend to add to the association?
If elected, I will put machinery in place to strengthen the association and consolidate on the achievements of the present leadership of the NBA. If elected, I will ensure a more effective, efficient and purposeful NBA committed to protection and promotion of the rule of law and maintenance of the best traditions of the Bar.
Accountability and transparency is cardinal on my agenda and if elected, the affairs of NBA will be run in an open and transparent manner. Under my leadership, there will be strict compliance with Section 18 (3) of the NBA Constitution which stipulates that “no expenditure shall be incurred for any purpose unless such expenditure has been approved generally by the National Executive Committee in the annual budget or any supplementary budget of the association”.
Also worthy of note here is Section 19 (6) of the NBA Constitution which provides that all property of the association, freehold or leasehold, or other interest in land acquired for the use and benefit of the association shall be vested in the Trustees of the association who shall deal with same in line with the resolution of the Annual General Meeting as contained in Section 19 (7) of the Constitution.
If elected, I will ensure that the association’s assets and resources are prudently managed in line with provisions of the Constitution for the overall benefits of members. Efforts will also be geared towards doing things more cost effectively without compromising standard.
The duties of the NBA President are set out in Section 8 (5) (a) of the NBA Constitution 2015. I will sustain and consolidate on the achievements of the present NBA leadership. Laudable projects like the NBA stamp & seal policy, the insurance project etc will all be enhanced for greater benefits for members of the association. On the issue of stamp and seal, the policy which has fought impersonation and quackery to a standstill is very commendable and must be sustained.
If elected, I will put machinery in place to enhance the policy by ensuring that all stamps are produced and promptly delivered to the respective branches/members in good time upon application. Some members have also complained about the issue of expiry date on the stamp and to this end, I will address this holistically considering the Relevant Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) and the general concerns of members.
Quite a number of lawyers have also complained about the cost of procuring these stamps and in this regard, I will consider reviewing the cost in line with current economic realities and in the overall interest of members, especially young lawyers.
Another issue of concern is the delay in the production and delivery of the stamps. I shall drastically reduce, if not totally eliminate, all delays and bottlenecks in the production of the stamps in order to ensure that the stamps are delivered promptly upon application.
The NBA car stickers is also another area of concern and I intend to put machinery in place to ensure that the car stickers are serialized and customized for lawyers to avoid its abuse by non-lawyers as is presently the case.
The welfare of young lawyers is very dear to my heart and that explains why it features prominently in my manifesto. I will champion the establishment of a wage baseline for young lawyers considering the location of practice and business environment, if elected.
I intend to accomplish this by engaging and consulting the management of law firms across the country and working in concert with the various branches of the NBA. There has to be a discourse where all and sundry will actively participate in, and majority will reach a consensus on a wage baseline for young lawyers.
All concerned parties, that is the senior lawyers, management of law firms, various NBA branches and the young lawyers themselves will participate in this process and I am optimistic that it will yield a positive result. I have come to realize that finance is one of the challenges that young lawyers face in this profession.
To this end, I intend to set up a loan board that will be saddled with the responsibility of disbursing soft loans to deserving lawyers, especially the young ones in order to assist them in setting up law firms and partnerships.
This will be done in conjunction with partnering banks. The NBA under my leadership will ensure that these facilities are easily accessible to lawyers by making the process less cumbersome. The Health Insurance Policy is also one of the programmes that I have in terms of welfare of lawyers.
I believe that young lawyers will greatly benefit from this programme which I will implement if elected. I intend to achieve this through effective collaboration with the National Health Insurance Scheme to guarantee easy access to quality healthcare and benefits at subsidized cost.
I believe that the welfare of young lawyers will be greatly improved by enhancing their skills and developing their capacities. To this end, I will replicate on a larger scale for the NBA, what my firm; J-K Gadzama LLP has been doing over the years.
That is to develop a mentorship programme for young lawyers with a resource base drawn from senior lawyers and judges of superior courts (both serving and retired) and also establish a Cross-Border Mentorship Programme for them. Our young lawyers must be equipped with the requisite skills and abilities to address contemporary legal challenges and access enhanced benefits.
This can only be achieved by training and re-training. There are many opportunities for young lawyers to explore which are currently being untapped. I will create a platform and the needed support for young lawyers to explore these opportunities and empower themselves.
Young lawyers will be appointed to various committees of the NBA and will also be an integral part of my administration if elected. My administration will also work out modalities to sponsor young lawyers to attend the International Bar Association Conference, regional conferences and even national conferences.
Additionally, the NBA under my leadership will ensure beneficial, wellinformed, timely and coherent contributions to debate on national issues and promotion of democratic tenets.
Why do you think you are the most qualified to lead the Bar at a time many believe the association has lost its voice?
It might not be totally correct to say that the NBA has lost its voice. This is because in the past years, the NBA has recorded a number of achievements and made its impact felt in the area of promotion of the rule of law, protection of the rights of members, advancement of the interest of members amongst others. However, there is always room for improvement. If elected, I will put machinery in place to strengthen the Association and consolidate on the achievements of the present leadership of NBA.
If elected, I will ensure a more effective, efficient and purposeful NBA committed to protection and promotion of the rule of law and maintenance of the best traditions of the Bar. I believe that I am more experienced and capable to lead the NBA, as I have successfully served the association in the past in various capacities. I have the interest of the Bar at heart and I do not represent any sectional interest. If elected, the members of this branch and all members of the association will be carried along and treated fairly.
I will give all members a sense of belonging. My programmes and vision for the Bar are well thought-out and very practicable. I also have a feasible blue-print for the implementation of my programmes. In putting up my manifesto, I made wide consultations to identify the needs and yearnings of the Bar and all these are encapsulated in my manifesto which I have undertaken to implement to the fullest if elected.
If elected as the 28th President of the Nigerian Bar Association, my main focus will be on the empowerment of members, promotion of professional development and continuing legal education.Members will be economically empowered by exposing them to business opportunities, training and capacity building in diverse areas of law, as well as capacity building to enhance skills and increased productivity in line with modern realities of legal practice.
This I intend to achieve through capacity building workshops, networking programmes, seminars, courses and conferences amongst others. I am also of the view that the current Rules of Professional Conduct 2007 (RPC) is due for a comprehensive review to bring it in tandem with current trends and reflect modern realities.
How do you intend to turn the association around should you become the next NBA President? Why must your colleagues cast their vote for you ahead of your brother silk?
My mission in this race is to serve with integrity and run an inclusive NBA dedicated to the advancement of the interest of its members and protection of societal norms and values. I have also developed a number of welfare support programmes for members of the Bar if elected.
Some of these programmes include the provision of loans to members of the Bar through partnering banks for setting up law firms and partnerships. Special health programmes will also be introduced for aged and incapacitated members of the Bar.
Also germane is the issue of discipline in the profession which I will holistically address if elected. I have also successfully served the Nigerian Bar Association in various capacities, notable among which are Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja branch, Chairman of the 2005 NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee, Jos, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 2006 Maiden Conference of the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP), Vice Chairman of the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP) and Pioneer Chairman of the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) from 2006 to 2010.
The welfare and capacity development of young lawyers will also be paramount if elected and in this vein, I will champion the establishment of a minimum wage baseline for the engagement of young lawyers considering the location of practice and business environment.
The practice of paying young lawyers paltry sums as salary must be discouraged in all ramifications. I have also marshaled out plans to empower lawyers and build their capacity by exposing them to emerging areas of law which are currently untapped.
Some of these areas are sports law, competition law (anti-trust), entertainment law, medical law e.t.c. This I will achieve by ensuring training, capacity building and networking through organising of relevant workshops, conferences and seminars.
Another area of interest which I will address is initiating a Health Insurance Policy in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for all interested lawyers and their family members to guarantee easy access to quality healthcare and benefits. This will go a long way in addressing the health needs of lawyers and their family members.
Under my leadership, the NBA stamp and seal policy will be enhanced by tackling all attendant delays in its production by ensuring that the stamps are produced and made available to lawyers promptly upon application.
The NBA car stickers is also another area of concern and I intend to put machinery in place to ensure that the car stickers are serialized and customized for lawyers to avoid its abuse by non-lawyers as is presently the case.
If elected, I will run the NBA in a transparent manner by ensuring accountability and openness in all dealings and affairs of the Association. Generally, I will run an inclusive NBA, promote the rights of members and consolidate on the achievements of the present leadership of the NBA in the overall interest of the Association.
For the first time, lawyers will abandon posters, flyers and other mechanism for campaign, how has this helped or hindered your campaign for the office of the NBA President?
The banning of campaign posters and media adverts is actually a welcome development. To an extent, it has reduced the cost of electioneering. It has also brought a level of sanity in the process. It has not in any way affected my campaign negatively.
I have been able to successfully reach out to lawyers in almost all branches of the NBA in all states of the federation. I have always honoured invitations from various NBA branches, participated in their activities, consulted elders of the Bar, paid courtesy calls and visited various branches of the NBA and in so doing, I have been able to reach out to majority of lawyers in the course of my campaign.