President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, has said an effective Bar does not need to be permanently combative to hold government accountable, insisting that constructive engagement and principled criticism can exist alongside a firm defence of the rule of law.
Speaking in an extensive interview published by New Telegraph on September 13, the NBA President said her administration intends to strengthen the Association internally while simultaneously maintaining its public responsibility to defend constitutionalism and good governance.
Badejo-Okusanya said one of her administration’s earliest priorities is transforming the NBA National Secretariat into a more responsive, transparent and technology-driven institution.
She disclosed that her first days in office involved assessing how services are delivered to lawyers, engaging members of staff and identifying systems that should be retained, improved or replaced. She also said telephone contacts and clearer information about departments and responsible officers would be made available to members to reduce difficulties encountered in accessing services.
The President also highlighted lawyers’ economic welfare as a major concern.
She disclosed that she had engaged the Attorney-General of the Federation on implementation of the Legal Practitioners Remuneration Order, noting that lawyers should not carry the entire burden of convincing clients about prescribed minimum fees.
According to her, wider public enlightenment and voluntary compliance should precede enforcement wherever possible.
Other proposals outlined by the President include an affinity card capable of providing lawyers with discounts and financial benefits, reduced-cost access to electronic law reports and measures aimed at lowering the cost of professional tools.
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Child justice is another major area of the administration’s programme. Badejo-Okusanya said the NBA wants children who enter the criminal justice system to have access to legal representation within 24 to 48 hours, with donor-supported arrangements helping participating lawyers meet practical costs associated with such representation.
On the NBA’s national role, she rejected the suggestion that the Association must always adopt an adversarial posture to prove its independence.
She maintained that the Bar should call leaders to order where necessary, commend positive conduct where appropriate and collaborate with public institutions when doing so advances justice and the public interest.
Badejo-Okusanya also promised greater attention to professional discipline, saying the NBA must confront unethical conduct by lawyers if it is to restore public confidence and preserve the dignity of the profession.
Taken together, the interview provides a clearer picture of an administration attempting to combine member welfare, professional discipline and public-interest advocacy under its “Members First. Always.” philosophy.
Source: New Telegraph
