Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) is drumming up support for women lawyers to run for Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidency. Women, he said, should be given a chance to vie for the exalted post.
“We have to allow them to grow,” Akeredolu, a former NBA president, said.
He spoke after being honoured at a Professional Bar Dinner organised by the Ibadan branch of the NBA at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre Ibadan at the weekend.
The governor was inducted as the branch’s patron for his contributions for its development and growth.
Akeredolu served as secretary and chairman of the branch.
He said: “We must produce a female President of the NBA. We should allow them to grow. If I see a woman campaigning for the Presidency of the Bar, I will definitely support her and campaign openly for her.”
He praised the branch for the recognition, adding: “I thank the Bar for the post humous award given to the former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, late Rt. Hon. Michael Adesina Adeyemo, a consummate Bar man and ambassador of the legal profession in politics. He went to politics on the verge of becoming the Secretary of this branch.”
The branch Chairman, Mr. Akeem Agbaje said the dinner was an annual event and that the branch decided to honour those who have made it proud in recent years; members who were elevated to the Customary Court Bench were also honoured.
Those honoured at the event included: Justice T. M. Abdul-Ganiyu, Justice M.Oyekwajo, Justice Olatunji Daniel, Justice S. A. Akitoye, and the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Mukhtar L. Abimbola.
Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) in his dinner speech on ethics and culture at the Bar said: “I implore that all local Bars set up ethics, culture, decorum and dressing committees to ensure that good standards are kept and maintained. I also recommend an Ethical provision from the Indian Bar which is, another commonwealth jurisdiction.
“Indian Lawyers are strictly enjoined to ensure that they drop briefs when a client desires the Lawyer to engage in any unethical practice. This means that the desire for success should never tempt a lawyer to engage in untoward practice. After all, when the Lawyer gets into trouble, the client quickly abandons him for another lawyer at the same or even lesser fees.
“We must not only focus on the discipline and punishment of erring lawyers, but encourage the setting up of a Bar Standards Board. Such a Board will ensure that the profession is practiced at the highest quality level. Lawyers should be required to complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to maintain and improve their skills.”