Osinbajo Seeks Disciplinary Action Against Corrupt Senior Lawyers

31 Jan Osinbajo Seeks Disciplinary Action Against Corrupt Senior Lawyers

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has called for disciplinary action against senior lawyers whose actions demean the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

Osinbajo made the call at the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) 2021 Annual Dinner and Scholarship Awards on Saturday in Lagos.

Osinbajo, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, said that it was a burden on BOSAN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure that their members remained disciplined and conducted themselves appropriately.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, he said, “There is a growing perception that some of our colleagues have developed unhealthy relationships, which are meant to influence cases before our courts.

“And it is now becoming the case that even younger members of our profession do much the same thing.

“I think it is time to commit to calling out those whose actions demean the ranks of SAN and ensure that they are brought before the appropriate disciplinary body.

“We must not allow a situation where the rank is demeaned because members of the public believe some of those in our ranks are those who actually corrupt the judicial system”, he said.

According to Osinbajo, the system of justice is a public resource which does not belong to the legal profession.

He said it neither belonged to the bar nor the bench but the people.

“It belongs to the people; we, lawyers and judges are paid operators of a service that our constitution created to resolve their disputes and give justice.

“We are custodians not owners; when this public resort is not working effectively on account of delays or it is being discredited by corruption, we, the operators, have a moral, legal and civic obligation to fix it”, he added.

He cautioned against being defensive but to correct the anomalies so as not to fail the people.

Citing the Bible, Osinbajo urged BOSAN members to stand for the voiceless.

“And to borrow the scriptures in Proverbs 31 vs 8, we would have failed to speak up as the voices of the voiceless and the vulnerable.

“Every one of us seated here today knows that there is a lot wrong with our system; history beckons us to fix it.

“I congratulate the leadership of BOSAN for sustaining this initiative and for instituting a scholarship scheme”, he said.

Speakers at the dinner included former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko, who was represented by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Nigeria’s first female SAN, Mrs Folake Solanke, among others.

* The vice president afterwards attended Igbobi College, Yaba, 90th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner organised by the Igbobi College Old Boys’ Association (ICOBA).

In his keynote address as the Special Host, Osinbajo, an alumnus of the college, recalled fond memories of his days in the school.

He urged the Old Boys of the college to consider a regular payment into an endowment fund in order to contribute the kind of money that would make not just a difference at present but also a difference into the future.

“So, we expect that all of those who were here will make a sacrificial commitment; I hope that the commitment will not just be for today. We will continue to do it on a regular basis”, he said.

At another event in Edo State, where he attended the conferment of the customary title of ‘Oduma of Auchi Sacred Kingdom’ on Clem Agba, minister of state for budget and planning, he said Nigeria needs citizens who see the nation’s ethnic diversity as a tool for sustainable development.

He also emphasised the importance of traditional institutions in building the right values in society.

“Our country needs men and women who see and understand that our ethnic diversity is not a point of difference but a fountain of strength; men and women who understand that all people regardless of race and faith deserve to be treated equally, fairly and justly,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying.

“This is where the significance of traditional institutions come into being because they are regarded, and rightly so, as the custodians of these values, and embody the highest and noblest ideals of our people.”

Osinbajo also commended the communal bonds and peaceful co-existence of Muslims, Christians and other groups living in Auchi.

“It is remarkable and worthy of praise that in the great Auchi Kingdom, adherents of both Islam and Christianity, have lived and continue to live harmoniously together for centuries, sharing a common bond as members of this community, and even of the same biological families,” he said.

The Vice-President also said Auchi is like a second home, having undertaken his primary service there as a youth corps member over 40 years ago under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme for fresh graduates.