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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Guardian * Lagos NBA opposes School's awards for Shagari, Ekwueme, others THE plan by the Nigerian Law School and
the Council of Legal Education to confer the award of Fellow of Nigerian Law
School (FNLS) on some Nigerians, including former President Shehu Shagari and
Vice President Alex Ekwueme, is being threatened by the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Lagos branch. According to the NBA premier branch,
there is no statutory provision for the conferment of such awards on anybody,
and such move is capable of affecting the legal profession adversely and
degrade the honour and integrity of the profession to the detriment of lawyers.
On Monday, April 26, 2004, while
announcing the school's 40th anniversary celebrations, the Director General,
Chief Kayode Jegede (SAN), had said that the distinquished fellowship of the
school would be awarded to eminent Nigerians. Jegede stated: "We are not
restricting our recognition to lawyers only. We are recognising those who have
contributed immensely to the progress and development of this nation in
politics and industry. We are also recognising the best in our profession like
the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, who is an alumnus
of the school and also one of us that was a World Court Judge." But the men of the profession in Lagos
branch are set to kick against the idea. The chairman of the branch, Akin
Akinbote, at a press conference yesterday, said that his branch had resolved to
institute a court action against the school and the Council for Legal Education
if they insisted on going on with the award. Akinbote read out a motion moved by the
general body of branch on May 10, 2004 where it was resolved to stop the award.
The motion reads: "Be it resolved and it is hereby resolved that in view
of the luck that there is no statutory provision for the conferment of the
fellowship of the Nigerian Law School, and in view of the fact that the award
of the said fellowship will affect our profession adversely, and degrade the
honour and integrity of the profession to the detriment of the lawyers. "We hereby move and condemn in
strong terms, the proposed conferment of the fellowship of the Nigerian Law
School on any person and we call on the national executive of the NBA to take
all appropriate steps to stop or vacate whatever is done or proposed to be done
in this direction. "Again, if possible the branch
should institute an action to stop the award." However, in a telephone interview with
the General Secretary of NBA, Mr. Dele Adesina, the national president seemed
not to be aware of the move by the Lagos branch. Adesina said: "Lagos branch should
have contacted the President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) before making their
move. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the NBA has always made it clear
that any issue that is of concern to all branches should be made known to
NEC." Akinbote, however, replied that the branch
did not have to wait for the national body before going into action. He
referred to the time the property of the school in He said further: "We are not trying
to vilify the national body, we are doing this to care for all lawyers'
integrity. The decision of the branch is to go to court to challenge this
award." Already, the award is slated to take
place tomorrow at the auditorium of the school at Bwari, Those to be honoured include Alhaji Shehu
Shagari, Chief Alex Ekwueme, Chief FRA Williams (SAN), Justice Uwais, Justice
Umaru Abdullahi (JCA), Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu - Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr.
Peter Odili, Rivers State Governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani - Enugu State
Governor, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), Chief Emeka
Anyaoku, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Chief Subomi Balogun, Mr. Bola Ajibola,
Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Oba Rilwan Akiolu. |
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