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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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NBA opposes use of banks' legal depts as revenue units
THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos chapter, at the weekend called on the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo to check the activities of some banks and other organisations which have turned their legal departments to income generating units contrary to the Legal Practitioners' Act (LPA).
The association is also set to initiate judicial proceedings against the Nigerian Law School over the award of fellowships to some Nigerians.
This was disclosed at a press briefing against the backdrop of the new Legal Year this week. At the briefing, the association also restated its position on the practice of law by other professional firms, foreigners and the undercutting of lawyers' professional fees by banks, members of the Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and other organisations.
In its call to Soludo, the NBA chairman, Mr. Akin Akinbote said, "most banks and other organisations have in-house scale of fees that operate contrary to the Legal Practitioners' Act and Rules of professional conduct for lawyers.
"We hereby call on the CBN governor to also look into this effort to reform and sanitise the banking sector. We also call on the banks and other organisations and our colleagues in their employ to desist from this fraudulent act that does nothing but pauperise lawyers."
On the grouse of the NBA local chapter against the Law School, Akinbote said the earlier position on the conferment of fellowships by the school has not changed. He called on all the awardees to formally renounce the award.
"Our position on this issue has not changed. It is illegal and totally unsupported by any known law. We hereby call on the awardees to formally renounce the award," he said.
Akinbote maintained that NBA owes a responsibility not only to the profession but also to the willing and the unsuspected members of the public. He said that "the branch has concluded arrangements to commence judicial proceedings seeking for a declaration, inter alia, that the award is illegal and unknown to our laws."
He said that the practice of law by other professional firms is an illegality because, none of these laws that established the practice of law profession in Nigeria allows for the establishment of a law practice within any other professional firm. He called on those engaged in the practice to resign their appointments within 14 days. However, "in the event that this call is ignored, we shall initiate proceedings before the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar and we will not settle for anything less than their disbarment," Akinbote said.
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