The Law Officers Association of Nigeria LOAN has been given assurances of the support of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA.

President of the NBA, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud SAN made the promise while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Annual National Law Officers conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mahmoud noted the role played by LOAN and its commitment to delivering justice with the highest standard of integrity, maintaining the nobility of the legal profession and the promotion of justice sector reforms. He stated that the leadership of the Bar will in turn work towards the promotion of the welfare of law officers in Nigeria.

“The NBA would take up the challenge to be at the fore front for promoting and championing the cause our law officers and to also remove the dichotomy existing between aw officers and other members of the NBA. This is to enable them exercise their full right of membership of the Bar including right to be elected into offices of the Bar,” he said.

Also speaking at the event former Director General of the Nigerian Law School Enugu Campus, Prof Ernest Ojukwu noted with dismay the lack of support given to law officers by members of the bar.

He said, “there is no reason why the bar should not fight for better emoluments for its members in the Ministry of Justice and other agencies particularly now that we expect so much from them in the fight against corruption”.

He also said that law officers were in the heart of administration of justice in the country and no kind of reform of the justice sector will take root unless we make law officers interests, welfare, rights, standard, competence, commitment and role a priority in our scheme of challenges in Nigeria.

In another development, the NBA has signed a memorandum of Understanding with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

The occasion took place after a one-day National Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on Pro Bono Legal Services and Paralegalism in Nigeria, organized by the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association at Reiz Hotel in Abuja

Source: TML News