IAPL
A former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), Mr. Nimi Walson-Jack, has described his suspension from the National Executive Council(NEC) of the association as a return to the dark ages of socialism and communism when Governments sanctioned and jailed lawyers for representing persons whose activities were considered contrary to those of the political leadership.
Specifically, he accused the President of the Association and the General Secretary, Messrs. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, and Daniel Ka-ayii Kip, of dictatorship and abuse of authority.
The former general secretary in a statement titled “The Unconstitutionality and Illegality of the Suspension of Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack from the NEC of the Nigerian Bar Association”, said the infamous resolution would win a gold medal in the coven of dictators, and an affront to the right of lawyers to represent the diverse interests of their law-abiding clients.
He said his suspension is an act of intimidation and harassment, which hinders his ability to continue to provide legal services to citizens who incidentally are also lawyers.
NBA has suspended Nimi Walson-Jack as a member of its National Executive Council and stripped him of his privileges as the NBA’s former General Secretary pic.twitter.com/WbJwQ9nNHF
— Naija (@Naija_PR) January 6, 2023
He warned that if the leadership of the NBA is allowed to get away with the illegality of his suspension, the right of Nigerians to lawyers of their choice, and the duty of lawyers to their clients would become endangered. According to him, it would be a triumph of the whims and caprices of individuals over the rule of law.
He called on International Lawyers’ Organisations, members of the legal profession in Nigeria and abroad, the Nigerian judiciary, the media, and Nigerians to question the commitment of the leadership of NBA to promote the rule of law.
The statement reads: “The NBA at the last meeting of its NEC held on Thursday, 15 December 2022, in Abuja, Nigeria, deliberated on a crackdown on members of the legal profession who are advocating and championing the formation of a new Professional Association for Lawyers in Nigeria and resolved to take punitive measures against them.
“In paragraph 2.1(e) of its communique issued on 15th December 2022, and signed by Messrs. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, and Daniel Ka-ayii Kip, its President, and Assistant General Secretary, respectively, the NBA stated “NEC particularly resolves that a past General Secretary, Mr. Nimi Walson-Jack, who acted as a solicitor to the promoters of the new Law Society be stripped of his privileges as past general secretary and consequently, be suspended from being a member of the NEC of the association.”
“The communique is clear on the fact that the reason for punishment (if it could be called that) is for discharging a professional duty to provide legal services to members of society.
“The resolution to punish me for representing the promoters of the new law society is a return to the dark ages of socialism and communism when governments sanctioned and jailed lawyers for representing persons whose activities were considered contrary to those of the political leadership. This infamous resolution would win a gold medal in the coven of dictators, not in the assembly of lawyers in defense of democracy and the tule of law. It is an affront to the right of lawyers to represent the diverse interests of their law-abiding clients.