Meet John O. Aikpokpo-Martins, A Bar Man Per Excellence

The supposed wind of change is still blowing, and moving with a breath of fresh air.

The agents of change have lodged their lips with words of innovations for an unabridged progress to the next echelon. The electorates are ready to cast their votes. But he who will get the ballot voice of victory will be determined by how well he will be able to dance in the arena of democratic romance.

To joust in this dance, is one fine legal man. A bar man who is safely girded with the girdle of sound legal experience; one who has his resume sealed with records of uncommon proficiency. We are talking of no other person than Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins.

John Aikpokpo-Martins Esq is contesting for the 2nd Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association whenever the Electoral Committee deems it fit to lift the ban of electoral activities. Mr, Aikpokpo has already picked the necessary nomination forms, and submitted same on the 30th of May, 2018.

PROFILE
John Aikpokpo-Martins is from Edo State. He graduated from the Bendel State University, Ekpoma in 1989, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. He is the Principal Partner of Aikpokpo, Okeregha & Co, and practices law in Warri, Delta State, on a full time basis.

Mr. Aikpokpo was the Chairman, Warri Branch, from 2014 – 2016 and Vice Chairman, Warri Branch from 2010 – 2012 and as well the present NEC Rep of the Branch. The able bar man was a member of the NBA Election Working Committee, 2012 – 2014, and a delegate to the NBA trade mission to South Africa, 2016. He is also a member of the Delta State Justice Sector Reform Team.

Mr. Aikpolpo is not only a court room lawyer; he is as well an academic. He has delivered papers at several NBA events including the 2015 conference in Abuja. He is a very committed member of the Midwest Bar Forum and has chaired several committees of his Branch and the Midwest Bar Forum.

As the Chairman of my Branch, 2014 – 2016, his administration positively and innovatively impacted on the Branch in no small measure. Below are some of the innovations that came to be under his watch:

1. Under his watch they revised and improve the welfare package to members. .

2. They also revitalized and encouraged the Young Lawyers Forum, sponsored them to several NBA functions, open a bank account for them and paid substantial amount into it for their operations.

3. They also revolutionized the administrative machinery of the Branch and brought in so many innovations;

4. Redesigned the accounting system of the Branch to make it more fraud proof;

5. Built a multi-million naira bar centre at Effurun High Court, premises. The foundation stone of that project was laid on the 19th of June, 2015. The bar centre comprises of a 300 persons sitting capacity, offices, cloak rooms for male and female etc. It was ready for use by the 12th of June, 2016. when they handed over. This was achieved without levying members, and less that 20% of the cost was from the branch’s account.

6. They always defended the rights and dignity of our members tenaciously and robustly whenever the need to so defend arose.

7. Most importantly, they drafted and sponsored a bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to make it possible and easy for lawyers to collect the statutory fees chargeable for the preparation of deeds of title to lands in the Delta State, which said bill was passed into law, and was awaiting assent of the Governor of Delta State before we vacated office.

8. The bill will make it legally and statutorily mandatory for clients to pay their lawyers the statutory professional fees for the preparation of land instruments. This will positively impact on the earnings and welfare of lawyers in Delta State and possibly in the whole country in no distant time.

9. They created and encouraged the female lawyers’ and law officers’ fora and activism in the Branch.

10. They as well ensured that young lawyers, female lawyers and law officers always have representations in any committee of the branch for inclusiveness.

The 2nd Vice president aspirant is also the current chairman of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter. He is as well a lover of football and has participated in the football competitions for branches at the annual NBA conferences from 2005 to 2016.

Mr. Aikpokpo is married with 3 children. His wife is a State counsel with the Delta State Ministry of Justice, and the current Vice Chairman of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter.

COMMENT FROM THE ASPIRANT:

I will be contesting for the position of the 2nd Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association whenever the Electoral Committee deems it fit to lift the ban of electoral activities, I have picked the necessary nomination forms, and submitted same on the 30th of May, 2018.

I strongly believe that I am the best person to occupy the office of the 2nd vice president of the Bar in the present circumstances and season in Nigeria and the Association. The NBA is the leader of all professional and civil societies in Nigeria, and is therefore better placed to dictate the course of national conversation and discourse at all times, therefore, we need leaders with the fecundity of mind, the passion to steer the course, the boldness to speak and the strength of character not to be compromised. It is also very fundamental that we do not elect leaders with something to be afraid of, as that will leave them susceptible to subtle blackmail and the capitulation of the will to drive the course of the Association. In essence, we need passionate barmen, tenacious practitioners of the law, vibrant persons with the calmness to assess all issues, and leaders driven by vision. I have no doubt, that I fit the bill more than any person presently.

I believe that the Association it neglecting the needs of her members, and not just only that of the young lawyers. I think the sense of neglect and outright betrayal is more felt by the young lawyers because at that stage of practice, they have not been able to build cushions, or develop antidotes to the fault lines in the practice of law. It is usually a rude shock to most young lawyers upon getting call after years of dreaming of becoming lawyers, to be faced with a myriad of issues that test the will and heart of even the strongest.

The unfortunate reality is that a young lawyer struggles to get an office to practice with or without pay upon being called to the Bar. In fact, he practically begs to be given an opportunity to be employed for next to nothing salary. The Association has no mechanism to assist them get offices or get good remunerations or even humane and dignified treatment from senior members who become their principals. The principals are themselves struggling to make end meet. Yet, the Association is very fast to collect her practising fees, local dues, dinner levies, welfare contributions, conference fees etc etc every year. If you juxtapose all these financial obligations and commitments, to what the lawyer gets in benefits from the Association, you will agree that it seem not adequate and commensurate. The lack of welfare benefits is mostly due to the lack of capacity of most branches to adequately respond to the needs of lawyers, and mostly the young lawyers. Alawyer is assaulted by the police in the course of professional duties, and you see most chairmen of branches trying to wish away the problem instead of solving same. In some cases, the young lawyer is put under tremendous pressure to let sleeping dogs lie.

The young lawyer goes away frustrated and traumatized. In another circumstance, a very senior member of the same branch has a similar issue with the police, and suddenly, all the powers and influence of the branch is mobilized to seek redress. Why would the young lawyer not feel doubly neglected? Again, what is the welfare benefit of most branches? It is mostly nil or of no moment. I have strongly advocated and will continue to do so that the remittances to branches from the practicing fees paid should not be less than 40%. The Association must ensure that the remittances are increased, and they mustbe used exclusively for the welfare of members only.

I sincerely believe that if this is done, it will greatly put more monies in the control of branches to meet the needs of their members. The branches are the closest organs of the Association to the membership; we must therefore seek to make the branches more responsive to the need of members more than anything else. The national body is not made up of members, but of branches. It is only the branches that are made up of members; without the members, there will not be the Association, therefore, the welfare of members must agitate the leadership of the Association more than any other duty at all times.

I will particularly advocate that one of the Vice Presidents of the Association should be given the responsibility of overseeing the young Lawyers Forum and the issues of the brutalization of young lawyers by security men, particularly by the police. The national body cannot longer keep aloof and situate such issues as local issues for branches to handle. The brutalization of a lawyer anywhere in Nigeria, is an assault on the dignity of all lawyers in Nigeria. It is high time it is confronted head on or else, we will live to regret it in no distant time.