The President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu C. Maikyau, OON, SAN NBA has stated that in the absence of the judiciary in Nigeria, we would not have a nation.
Maikyau who was invited to give a goodwill message in his capacity as NBA President at the ongoing event- The Sam Momah Annual Lecture Series with the theme “Temple of Justice in Nigeria: Scarred or Sacred”, stated this in giving his thoughts on the conversation.
He had the following to say in his remarks. “The subject of Justice is a subject that is close to my heart. Some might say that it is so because I am the President of the Bar or that I am a lawyer. I have a story of how I became a lawyer.”
The NBA President then recounted the story of how he set out to study veterinary medicine but ended up in the Law Faculty to his astonishment and ascribed his successes to God and divine interventions. He then referred to the statement of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio, where he said that “a people can exist without religion but they cannot exist without justice”.
He stated that the existence of a people and their existence as a nation is intrinsic in justice. “If you find any element that is threatening the existence of this element anywhere is simply because there is the absence of justice,” he said.
He noted that while he spoke during the State of the Nation address organized by the NBA, he had identified that it is only when we act effectively as ministers in the temple of justice, that we can keep the nation together.
Maikyau added that there is a need for us to be motivated by the passion to do Justice in all we do. He identified insecurity, corruption as the bane of our country Nigeria, which he said is caused by a motivation other than the need to do justice.
He reiterated that for lawyers as members of the legal profession, whether serving at the Bar or on the Bench, they must conduct themselves professionally and ethically. “There is a need for us to re-evaluate our conducts. This is a subject that should preoccupy our hearts in order to ensure right decisions from all areas of the society.”
Maikyau also deprecated some lawyers who engage in making conflicting submissions which have influenced the decisions of the court. He also condemned instances where lawyers comment on matters that are before the court.
The President made more emphasis on the above by borrowing an African proverb saying “A lion roars and says ‘no matter the economy of the jungle it will not eat grass,’ it’s not Pride but who he is. This should be our conduct towards doing justice. No doubt that there are agitations from some quarters, but I am optimistic that all issues will be interrogated.”
The President concluded by noting that the theme of the forthcoming NBA Conference, “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation building” is key; and he used the opportunity to invite the participants to the august event. He noted that the gathering is the largest of lawyers and the NBA’s was in partnership with the security agencies to ensure a seamless conference.
The 2023 edition of the Sam Momah Annual Lecture Series which was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua centre also featured panel sessions, review and presentation of the book “A General and a Gentleman…The Last 20 Years! (A Sequel Biography of Sam Momah)
NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, stood in for the Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Justice Mary Odili, JSC (rtd) in her absence, while Ms Ayo Obe gave the keynote address. Prof Augustine Odili who was the book reviewer with Dr Sam Amadi acting as the moderator of the event Dr Sam Amadi. Other speakers and invitees include Mr Emeka Etiaba, SAN, Hamzat Lawal, Mrs Rabi Anwar, and others.
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