Oppression Of Young Lawyers In Nigeria Must End–Inibehe Effiong

A young Nigerian Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has angrily reacted to the statement attributed to the NBA president about the threat of commencing disciplinary actions against Mr. Philips, the young lawyer who accused NBA of presenting his portrait to the number one citizen without his consent. Giving his comment on the matter, Mr. Effiong emphasized that if this trend continues, there is a likelihood that a revolt will be staged. Read Inibehe’s reaction “Imagine the statement attributed to the President of the Bar: “The NBA President stated this while lamenting on the abuse of social media by young lawyers to castigate and deride senior colleagues and exposing the profession to disrepute on a speech he presented to the National Executive Committee of the Association NEC, at a meeting currently holding in Ilorin Kwara State.” The NBA President stated; “Just a couple of days ago a young lawyer went to the media to accuse me and the NBA of theft of his art work and presenting it to President Muhammadu Buhari without his knowledge or consent.” “This allegation was very irresponsible and exposed the association to ridicule. It is unacceptable. We will be taking appropriate disciplinary action on that.” Above is a report by online legal blog, Court Room Mail on the position of the NBA President at the recent NEC meeting. MY REACTION: Why should our President threaten to sanction a lawyer for seeking redress against the association over what he believes is an infringement on his intellectual property, rightly or wrongly? Let them go ahead and sanction him and let’s see. That was how they constituted a committee to be monitoring junior lawyers who are “insulting” their seniors on social media. This Bar leadership is testing the will of young Nigerian lawyers. When people begin to revolt, those issuing threats today will not be able to control it. Seniority has been weaponised in the legal profession and it is offensive. The inequality and discrimination are totally repulsive. The arrogance is getting out of hands. I paid my NBA Branch dues yesterday and I cannot think of any useful benefit that I will derive from it. The NBA does not represent the entire legal profession, it represents a select few. The NBA is now ‘Senior Lawyers Forum’. What is the business of our President with the comments made by lawyers on social media? Where in the RPC can support be found for it? Is the NBA trying to legislate respect? This is a very scandalous and shameful attribution to the President of the Bar. I hope he was misquoted. Which of the many problems faced by young lawyers in Nigeria has been addressed effectively by the much touted Brave New Bar leadership? Mr Mahmoud SAN is playing a dangerous gamble by assuming that young lawyers in Nigeria are pawns that can be deprecated and attacked without consequences. As a young lawyer in Nigeria, I completely and vehemently condemn the offensive statement attributed to the NBA President. We, young lawyers in Nigeria, have already suffered enough hardship in this profession. We will resist any attempt by anybody to legislate our suffering. Those who think that we are useless and powerless should watch their actions before it is too late. No young lawyer will be intimidated. If the current leadership of the Bar is bereft of progressive and positive ideas, the honourable step is resignation. The continued stigmatisation and dehumanization of young lawyers in Nigeria must end. The Bar leadership seems to be laying the foundation for a revolution by young lawyers in Nigeria. My name is Inibehe Effiong. I am a young Nigerian lawyer.]]>