The Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Akorede Habeeb Lawal, has said that the NBA fund is used for the generality of the Bar and not individuals.

Akorede Habeeb Lawal made this statement while responding to a question asked by one Jake Okechukwu Effoduh on twitter.

According to Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, he said that he just paid a total of N15,000 for his Bar Practicing fees for the year, and he has been paying fees to the NBA every year for nine (9) years now; and that millions of others like him have been paying this yearly compulsory obligation, but what exactly has the NBA done for him?

Responding, Lawal said that the NBA may not be able to state what they have done for him, but they can state what they have used the NBA funds to do for all their members.

He also added that they believe that their members are entitled to know how the Bar’s funds (not only the practicing fees) are gotten and used, hence, they publish quarterly financial reports of the NBA to our members and even amended the NBA Constitution in 2019 to make ‘accountability duty’ mandatory. He further stressed that in 2019, not less than ten families of their departed colleagues who paid their practicing fees before 31/3/2019 took advantage of this insurance cover; and that the NBA under the leadership of Paul Usoro, SAN, prides itself as one of the few NGOs that is committed to financial transparency.

“The fund is used for the generality of the Bar and not individuals. This is not to say that in deserving cases, individual members do not enjoy the advantage of fund. The NBA is about the only professional body in Nigeria that has a working insurance policy for her members.

“Dear sir, we do not have millions of lawyers in Nigeria, Our members are about 150,000 dead and alive. It is also elementary that no lawyer pays practicing fees to the Nigerian Bar Association, but the Supreme Court of Nigeria which in turn remits part of the fees to the NBA,” he added.

Reacting, concerning the figure of the number of lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar, he said that in accurate terms, according to their records at the Nigerian bar Association, the number of lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar as at today stands at 124,464.

The Tweet reads:

“We believe our members are entitled to know how the Bar’s funds (not only the practicing fees) are gotten and used, hence, we publish quarterly financial reports of the NBA to our members and even amended the NBA Constitution in 2019 to make ‘accountability duty’ mandatory.

“In 2019, not less than ten families of our departed colleagues who paid their practicing fees before 31/3/2019 took advantage of this insurance cover. The NBA under the leadership of Paul Usoro, SAN, prides itself as one of the few NGOs that is committed to financial transparency.

The fund is used for the generality of the Bar and not individuals. This is not to say that in deserving cases, individual members do not enjoy the advantage of fund. The NBA is about the only professional body in Nigeria that has a working insurance policy for her members.

“Dear sir, we do not have millions of lawyers in Nigeria, Our members are about 150,000 dead and alive. It is also elementary that no lawyer pays practicing fees to the Nigerian Bar Association, but the Supreme Court of Nigeria which in turn remits part of the fees to the NBA.

“Finally, dear counsel, we may not be able to state what we have done for you, but we can state what we have used the NBA funds to do for ALL OUR MEMBERS. DM us your email address and enrollment number and we will be happy to send you the financial statements of the NBA detailing these.”

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