Adubabari Mankie-tanen is a Port Harcourt based Lawyer and Managing Partner of Mankie-Juris Chambers. He has an important question for Nigerian Lawyers in this message to lawyers he captioned:
“NIGERIAN LAWYERS: WE ARE THE PROBLEM OF NIGERIA!
WHAT ARE WE GATHERING IN LAGOS STATE FOR IN THE NAME OF ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE?”
“Giving voice to the voiceless: This is the duty of lawyer…
“Lawyers are different folk. We are trained to think differently. The concepts of liberty and justice are on our Minds. Obviously, Lawyers are not the only people who want to change the world, but we may be the only people who recognize that LASTING and JUST CHANGE MUST be consistent with the Rule of Law.
I have come to realize that WITHOUT Lawyers, the fight for Justice would have been lost long ago. WE HAVE A SACRED DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE WHAT AT TIMES MAY SEEM AN UPHILL BATTLE.
WE Lawyers are PROBLEM SOLVERS. We give people Hope; We give people their lives back.
We SPEAK for those who would otherwise have NO VOICE. We serve our Communities, We represent the Law and we are the KEY to a just Society” –President, American Bar Association,2013.
By virtue of my Training as a Lawyer, I insist that I don’t need to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to express my view on Serious issues confronting us as a people in Nigeria.
Based on the above classic Definition of the Role of Lawyers, I insist that we have FAILED Nigeria and Nigerians.
My little research shows that Lawyers globally are Societal Game Changers. We give DIRECTION to the Society. That is,the Society look to us for Direction.
Sadly, the situation is the Reverse in Nigeria. This is because the ongoing. DICTATORSHIP, Systematic GENOCIDE by Herdsmen and allied INJUSTICES cannot go on without the support and Backing of Lawyers.
It is really SHOCKING that Lawyers in Nigeria are keeping QUESTIONABLE CRIMINAL SILENCE in the face of the above sad Realities in Nigeria.
The PRESIDENCY has practically taken Nigeria and Nigerians HOSTAGE with the Backing of some Senior Members of the BAR who are Benefitting from the FRAUD!
Till now no one knows the SICKNESS that is afflicting our President, not even the Surgeon General of Nigeria. Where on this planet can this kind of FRAUD take place?? I insist that it is SATANIC and Radical WICKEDNESS for some Lawyers to support the PRIVATIZATION of the Health Status of an “Elected” President.
Beyond Jurisprudence, may those behind the said line of argument, be Afflicted by the now Private Sickness of Mr. President.
The Presidential Jet is detained abroad with attendant Parking Cost Consequences and the Body of Lawyers sees nothing wrong with same.
I have insisted that the way forward for the Fight Against CORRUPTION in Nigeria is moving or changing our CRIMINAL ADMINISTRATION PLATFORM from the present ADVERSARIAL to INQUISITORIAL. The Fear of the Government about this which naturally EXPOSE all Corrupt but Hidden Wealth in Nigeria. The very Refusal of the Government to take this step while embarking on Selective Hunt using the said INQUISITORIAL Principles is Questionable. LAWYERS are Aware of this funny situation but saying Nothing about it.
What is the state of our LAWS in this Country????
I am aware that at one of our past Conferences which held at ABUJA, the Cardinal Issue of FEDERALISM was heavily Discussed.
The Challenge presently is: Are we running a FEDERALISM or UNITARISM anchored on the PRINCIPLE of ARMED ROBBERY???
We Lawyers cannot claim ignorance of the fact that what we have presently in Nigeria is not a Democratic CONSTITUTION but a MILITARY Imposed CONSTITUTION with clear Northern Political/Economic/Religious Advantage over the rest of the Country.
The Criminal Majority of the North created through the Military Manipulation of the CONSTITUTION can virtually do anything it desires through the present FRAUD CONSTITUTION.
In fact Nigeria De facto is an Islamic Republic, where the SHARIA is above the CONSTITUTION.
I CHALLENGE any Lawyer to show that Nigeria is running a FEDERALISM, SECULAR STATE, where there is FREEDOM OF RELIGION/ASSOCIATION in line with Sections 1,10 and 38 of CFRN 1999.
The President is running the Country as his Private Empire with the Backing of some Senior Lawyers, who now practically give Interpretation to events from the Economic/Political Advantage of their Region of origin or Financial Advantage to the detriment of the OPPRESSED Majority Nigerians.
My CHALLENGE is: WHERE is our VOICE as Direction Givers to Nigerians???
***As usual the year 2017 is Here and another JAMBOREE in the Name of Annual General Conference is here. I call it JAMBOREE because there is NO Legitimate Expected IMPACT of such Conference from year to year. Certainly, from all indications, there are those PRACTICING NBA from year to year.
This is the 57th Annual Conference with the Theme:
“AFRICAN BUSINESS:PENETRATING THROUGH INSTITUTION BUILDING”.
The Conference based on what the Organizers called: “EXPOSING NIGERIAN LAWYERS TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BREEZE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN”, is hosted at THE LANDMARK EVENT CENTER, which Venue is Lacking in Capacity per adequate Accommodation of the Participants of the Conference. That is a Reflection of our DIRECTION as a Professional Organization. The Conference will features Sessions like Energizing Institution, Women Leadership, Institutionalizing African Investment, Military Business, Life after the Law among others.
My CHALLENGE is: In the light of current Realities in Nigeria, what is the Value of such Theme when Nigeria is Effectively Running on the PRINCIPLE OF ARMED ROBBERY?????? This is another Talk-Show as usual and nothing more.
During the last Administration, Nigerian Lawyers were brought on Board a Partnership with ACCESS BANK PLC. As far as I am concern, the process was a Dance on our Intelligence as LAWYERS. I Blame the then Leadership of the BAR. Based on my personal confrontation with ACCESS BANL Plc, I now understand that the VISA Card which our Leaders Negotiated for us is Incapable of Money Transfer. In fact call it a Purchasing Card and nothing more. My greatest Challenge came when I was told that I CANNOT Withdraw more than N20,000.00 per day. Let me ask: WHAT NONSENSE IS THAT FOR NIGERIAN LAWYERS????? That is a Reflection of the Direction of my Professional Organization.
This year,2017, we were told of every Registered Lawyer having a Computer Tablet carrying the Conference Material as well as One year Subscription of Law Pavilion On-line Law materials.
My CHALLENGE came when I realized that what our Leaders Negotiated for Nigerian Lawyers is 3RD GENERATION OF TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Driven Tablet. That is what is called “3G”, as against “4G”,which is 4th GENERATION OF TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Driven Tablet that delivers very High Data Speeds. With 4G one can enjoy HD Video Streaming, Quality Video Calls, Super-fast Downloads, On-line Gaming and much more WITHOUT BUFFERING.****4G is 10x faster than 3G!
WHY are our Leaders not Honest with us. This is a Reflection of the Direction of our Professional Body, What a SHAME?
Let me WHAT IS WRONG WITH US??? I did not Read LAW for Fear of Mathematics. I was a full time Science Student. I don’t need Rocket Science to know that the NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION has FAILED Us Nigerian LAWYERS, NIGERIA and NIGERIANS!
My THINKING is that what is making the LEADERSHIP of the BAR in Nigeria to keep and maintain the present CRIMINAL SILENCE in the very face of the evident Ongoing WRONGS in Nigeria like DICTATORSHIP, Running Nigeria on the PRINCIPLE of ARMED ROBBERY, KILLINGS by HERDSMEN, is the fact that all is not well internally. Can we be SURE that if the NBA is PROBED or INVESTIGATED Today, HEADS will not Roll???
Is the NBA LEADERSHIP not Aware of the DICTATORIAL Actions by the President since his sudden Return from London following PROTEST at Abuja House in London by Nigerians????
Is the NBA LEADERSHIP not Aware of the COUP by the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY against the Popular DEMAND for DEVOLUTION of POWER by Nigerian???
Increasing, there is LACK of CONFIDENCE in us by Nigerians. We have the Opportunity through the Vice President, who is not only a Professor of Law but Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Let us GIVE DIRECTION TO NIGERIA and NIGERIANS by STANDING UP for TRUTH and JUSTICE or we shall Regret in the event of what I call Avoidable REVOLUTION!
WE CANNOT CONTINUE the Way we are Going presently.
I Rest My Case!
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