PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT: NBA CONCLUDES PROBE OF SANS, EMINENT LAWYERS

A disciplinary panel set up by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to investigate allegations of professional misconduct levelled against some of its prominent members practising in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has submitted its report, Saturday Mirror gathered authoritatively.

The list of those investigated includes some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who had different petitions and complaints pending against them.

A highly-placed source at the national secretariat of NBA, revealed that the committee had since made “far-reaching recommendations”, which are meant to bring sanity to the conduct of legal practitioners in Abuja.

The impeccable source, who craved anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the president of the NBA, Chief Okey Wali (SAN), was determined to restore sanity to the “noble” profession, which he said was currently bedeviled by “a lot of indiscipline and unethical conducts”.

“The NBA president and his team are painstakingly considering the report by the NBA disciplinary committee, FCT zone. In fact, he has expressed his readiness to implement the recommendations to the letter, at least, to send a strong signal to lawyers that, no matter how highly-placed they may be, rules of professional conduct must not be jettisoned.

“NBA is expecting a thorough job from members of the FCT zone of the disciplinary committee, considering their credibility and sterling records, which have distinguished them in the past”, he stated.

While promising to make a “comprehensive list of the affected lawyers and the NBA recommendations ready in a short while”, he, however, volunteered the names of members of the committee, which he said has a former Attorney General of Abia State and eminent constitutional lawyer, Dr. Awa U. Kalu (SAN), as chairman.

Other members of the committee, as listed by the impeccable source, include: former NBA General Secretary, Muyiwa Akinboro (Esq), former chairman of Unity bar, Abuja, Chief Patrick Okolo, as well as an NBA activist, Okey Ajunwa.

A senior lecturer at the Nigerian Law School (Bwari campus), Stella Peter, serves as secretary of the committee. Efforts by Saturday Mirror to get Kalu’s comments failed as he told our correspondent to direct inquiry to NBA.

Source: National Mirror