The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Uyo branch, Akwa Ibom State, says in view of the perceived quackery in the system, it would publish a compendium of authentic members of the association in order to guide members of the public on who to seek for proper services.
Chairman of the association, Barr Anieken Akpan, dropped the hint during a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council.
He said in the NBA like other well organised professional bodies, fees and the practice are regulated but “the quacks would charge anything just to dent the good image of the profession.”
This, he said, is one of the ways to make the quacks run aground, besides arrests and prosecutions of the offenders.
Akpan, who was in company with the newly elected branch executive members, said elimination of quacks is one of the cardinal objectives of the new executive, as well as ensuring better welfare programmes for members and to work towards ensuring increase in the number of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in the state.
He said after the election, the executive decided to visit other professional bodies who aims and objectives were in tandem with that of the NBA, including the NUJ.
The chairman said such collaboration and synergy in professing the rule of law, democratic norms and civil liberty would go a long way to ensure sustainable democracy in the state and by extension the nation.
“We see the NUJ as a veritable partner in this cause and we have to work together to actualize this objective,” Akpan added.
While appreciating the presentation in legal columns in newspapers and legal arguments in the electronic medium, he observed that they did not apply the necessary professional and technical language to brighten their presentation to the understanding of the reading and listening public.
Akpan advised journalists to take advantage of the diploma course in law in some tertiary institutions so as to help them in the reportage of legal issues.
The association bemoaned the sorry state of the security situation in the state, making reference to the invasion of the Government House, Uyo by a team believed to come from the Department of State Security (DSS), adding that the situation leaves much to be desired.
He said at the appropriate time, the NBA would react because “as the time I am talking to you, we do not have detailed information about the alleged invasion.”
Akpan commended the Elder Patrick Albert-led NUJ administration for the uncommon transformation of the press centre.
Responding, Elder Patrick Albert described the NBA as a vital organisation in the society which contributes a lot in the dispensation of justice.
He assured them of the union’s collaboration and synergy with the NBA in promoting the rule of law, democratic norms and civil liberty in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
He then appealed to the NBA to treat cases on merit and consider poor clients who cannot pay their charges.
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