Approved Registration Fee For NBA Annual Conference: The Actions And Reactions

• “Can they afford it? Do they have good internet connections or electricity in rural areas? Can they afford to maintain the cost of internet and download? Are they aware that they will have to pay the subscription fee for law pavilion after the 6months or one year? The SIM cards they are using … Under whose name is it registered? ”

• “This is the most insensitive NBA Conference Registration Fee Regime I have seen in my life as a Lawyer. In a period of recession when the cost of living has become unbearable to Nigerians, NBA under A.B. Mahmud SAN decided in its wisdom to astronomically increase the NBA 2017 AGC Fees without any iota of consideration of the sad, ugly & bad economic situation on ground. This is most insensitive, arbitrary, inconsiderate, wicked & repulsive. All branches should pass resolutions rejecting the fees.‎

• “The issue is that in the past when people pay, they don’t get to receive the miserable conference bags and the equally miserable contents. What assurance do we have, therefore, that after paying these extortionist fees, the tablets would be available? In any case, we just being told of the 250k worth, but what kind of tablet exactly are we talking about here? There are many cheap ones out there”

• “What of people who already have tablets? Don’t forget also that after the first one year, you will need to renew your subscription with N60k. How about that? What then? Will NBA be there when that rears its ugly head? I doubt they will be.”

• “The fact that you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The big fuss is that it’s too expensive. The fact that you might be able to afford the 20k doesn’t mean every other average young lawyer can.”

• “Vote or no vote. The rationale for the unimaginable price for the Conference is self serving, demonic and outrageous. Why not use an E-book for the conference materials???. That’s not part of the manifesto of the so-called “Brave New Bar”… It’s quite demeaning the level of servitude and negritude, Young lawyers are being subjected. After all, NEC has reached a decision.”

• “The so called Tablet is a bait which holds no water. Why didn’t they make it to be optional…what happens if I already have a Tablet with Law Pavilion? How on earth could an association infuse so much hardship on its members all in an effort to promote a private business interest? This is sadistic, outrageous and shameful. In a legal environment where majority of lawyers are either unemployed or underemployed, NBA (a supposed welferistic body) will come up with a conference fees that will eats up about 2months of average Lawyers salary or earning. This is a new low for this administration. They should have human feelings and work for the betterment of lawyers.”

• “I think NBA should do something about the remuneration of juniors. It is hard to believe that in cities like Lagos and Abuja a junior lawyer is paid N20k. How can he survive with that amount? I think we need to re-jig our RPC and make it a professional misconduct for a principal to pay a junior any amount less than N50k in Lagos and Abuja. I agree that for this purpose there should be chambers classifications and categorizations. This idea should be developed by the bar leaders so that we can improve the welfare of our juniors.‎”

• “I believe the current National Officers don’t know that for years now, it’s almost mandatory law school students to have a laptop for ease of study. So a newly called Lawyers will still have to pay for a Tablet that does the same thing with his Laptop?‎”

The flock of comments by legal practitioners concerning the fees of the conference was not without some display of homour.

• “This is too good to be true. Free tablet loaded with one year subscription of Law Pavilion? It smells like MMM”

• “Law Pavilion conducted the election that brought him in so its payback time bro.”

• “Are these people not aware there are lawyers who are on a 10-15k monthly pay? NBA should wake up joor!”

• “The increment that was done skyrocketed to almost 150 percent. Are they not aware of the state of the Economy? I am sure that what happened in Port Harcourt conference would eventually happen again and this is where you will see lawyers tearing down the venue and even the executives”

As it is the normal trend, everyone cannot be of same opinion. While others are against the fees approved by the NBA, others are actually in support of same.

Below are some of the comments in support of the approved fees.

• “The fees ordinarily look high, but the benefits the participants will get completely outweigh the conference fees. What you take home in the tablet that will be given to all participants is well over N250k aside from the enriching programs/sessions already outlined for the conference.‎”

• “The Exco did not choose the fees the Technical Committee on Conference Planning chose the fees. President AB Mahmoud in fact sliced off N10, 000 from 4 categories: 1-5 was reduced from 30,000 to 20,000; 6-10 from 40,000 to 30,000; 11-14 from 50,000 to 40,000; 15-20 from 70,000 to 60,000. But the good news is that everyone who pays for the conference gets a tablet loaded with one year free subscription of law pavilion.”

• “…it is important that when we criticize, our critique should be based on all the facts. Nobody has asked what am I paying 20k for? Instead of bags, tablets will be given free that will come with apps that enable you to download laws of the federation. The tablets will apart from coming with free Airtel Sim card with airtime will also come loaded with the conference materials and a law pavilion fully equipped e-library of law reports with one year free subscription. Everything is worth over 250.000k. Even at 100k it is a fantastic bargain not to talk of 20k. No more begging seniors and friends for law reports. This initiative will improve the quality of legal practice from Bayelsa to Kebbi.”

• “Breakfast and lunch will be served free at the conference. International jurists, AG’s and business persons from all over the world have already been booked to speak. The intention is that DSTV will cover the conference live. Branches will also be encouraged to set up viewing centers which can receive DSTV coverage and/od live feeds. This conference is going to be world class and far better than anything we have ever seen anywhere in Africa. What we were frequently paying for before was absolute confusion many of us would not get our bags and conference materials despite paying well in advance; most times food was never available even though promised. Please gentlemen let’s use the facts at our disposal to make informed conclusions on the conference pricing. In terms of value this is the cheapest conference ever.”

• “The rave currently ongoing as regards the *hike in fee of the Annual General Conference 2017* is very understandable as regards the state of affairs of the economy. However, I need us to be very constructive with our criticisms as the fee didn’t come about as a result of a one man decision. It came about as a result of several deliberations between senior and *young lawyers*. It is high time we understand this profession is not a random one. The last CIBN Conference organized in Lagos cost 75k irrespective of whether you are a young member or not”

• “.We all say that our profession is a learned one but we should know that we need to pay a price. I am not happy about the hike in price but the packages included are something worth the price. We need to stop having the belief that we are young lawyers and we cannot believe we cannot afford things. This profession is very broad and there is a need for young lawyers to tap into different areas. Let us not limit our scope and explore a lot of areas so we can get financially capable to do a lot of things. We are indeed the future of the bar and together we can become better persons. Let’s stop trying to be destructive but try to find out reason why things are being done the way they are.”

• “I honestly think that the proposed Conference will be one of the best in recent times if it’s pulled through as planned. At the very least, participants will go home with value added to their practice as lawyers. Please join me in praying for the TCCP for God to help them to achieve the laudable program for the conference. Note that no matter what you do, you can never get the support of everyone. Do your very best and let posterity speak for you! KUDOS to the TCCP and the A.B.M led NBA‎”.

The comments stated show the arguments for and against the prescribed fees. Interestingly, there is one comment made by one Mr. Anonymous that seemed to have stressed on the issue far beyond what was anticipated. Below is the comment:

• “The Judiciary they say is the Last Hope of the Common Man. As the Last hope of the common man, it is suppose to be independent from external influence. As ministers in the temple of justice, they are to be guided by the best of profession conducts and regulations. They are not to be influenced with money no matter how enticing it may seem. But how can that be when there seems not to be a direction as to how Young Lawyers are to be taken care of? You spend five years in school after spending a good amount of money for fees, accommodation, feeding, text books amongst others, after which you get admitted into the Nigerian law school where you are expected to pay N295, 000 as school fees alone. This is outside the money for registration which runs into N20, 000 naira or more, expenses for call to bar, money to purchase wig and gown and of course text books amongst other. By the time a student is done with Law School, over a half a million naira must have been spent and after all this, such a lawyer you will end up hustling in chambers under the hand of one principal that will exploit your effort for his much gain. Many lawyers are paid not up to N8, 000. You can imagine what nonsense! And you expect them not to give in to bribe when they see one? I am not justifying it, but my point is simple. If the government is really ready of solving some of the issues we are having in the legal profession, then Young Lawyers welfare must be their top priority. Many people just see some of us with wig and gown and the glaring black and white, but they do not know what we pass through. Imagine a lawyer not receiving up to N15, 000 as salary! Tell me, how will that lawyer feed, pay transport, or even get married? Take a look at graduates of the Medical profession, they are paid well upon graduation and when questions are asked, you will hear stories like: they save humans lives. Yes they do, and we appreciate that, but Lawyers do same too.