NBA President Maikyau Calls for Rebuilding Nigeria with Visionary Leadership and Integrity at 64th Annual General Conference
OPENING REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION, MR. YAKUBU CHONOKO MAIKYAU, SAN, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 64TH ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE, HELD ON SUNDAY, 25 AUGUST 2024, AT EKO HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS
Distinguished Colleagues,
Last year, our conference theme was “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation Building.” We explored key aspects of nation-building from the perspectives of security, economy, and the administration of justice. The decision to broaden the conversation beyond a typical law conference was made to recognise the interconnectivity of the various factors influencing Nigeria’s progress.
The insights and outcomes gleaned from these engagements have served as tools for our continued dialogue with the government and other relevant stakeholders in Nigeria’s nation-building efforts, both as an association and on behalf of the people of our dear country.
We were privileged to have the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, declare the 2023 Annual General Conference open and deliver a riveting speech that elicited a standing ovation at the Opening Ceremony.
His Excellency called on members of the legal profession and other Nigerians alike to commit to “a change of mind, a change of attitude, and a change of approach to governance” in order to exploit our great potential for the benefit of the people. This year, we aim to build on the progress achieved through last year’s conversations and subsequent collaborations with the government and other stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.
In coming up with the theme of this year’s Conference—“Pressing Forward: A National Posture for Rebuilding Nigeria,” we were primarily motivated by the scripture in Philippians 3:14, where Apostle Paul, in a deep and clear expression of his understanding of his calling, said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
While the NBA AGC is not a religious gathering, we, as legal practitioners, can learn from it. We must remind ourselves of the noble call upon us to provide guidance to the people in protecting their rights and advancing the cause of our nation. We must remain focused and resolute and fix our gaze on the lofty goals of this call, which only the legal profession is privileged to undertake.
This unique dual responsibility of legal practitioners, whether serving on the bench or at the Bar, was succinctly encapsulated in the immortal words of Sir Christopher Alexander Sapara Williams, the first Nigerian to be called to the English Bar, who said,
“The legal practitioner lives for the direction of his people and for the advancement of the cause of his country.” This privilege, no doubt, comes with corresponding responsibilities.
This brings to mind the equally immortal words of the legendary jurist, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, CJN, the first Indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria, who noted that “The respect in which the Bar in any country is held is the best indicator of the freedom in that country.”We can only gain this respect when we, as members of the legal profession, discharge our dual functions not only creditably but also as a necessity, honestly, professionally, and ethically – always motivated primarily by the need to serve justice to the people.
To realize this objective, we must all have “a change of mind, a change of attitude, and a change of approach to governance.” In this regard, we found the traits of the eagle as an ideal prescription, which, if imbibed with renewed hope, will shape our posture towards the recovery, reformation, and repositioning that we dearly yearn for in our dear nation. This explains the design of the conference theme, which displays an eagle carrying the insignia of the Nigerian Bar Association on its wings.
The symbolism clearly reminds us of our role in society and our duty to the people of Nigeria. We can only deliver on this all-important assignment if we assume the posture and traits of an eagle. The eagle has a strong vision, is tenacious, and is a high flyer. The eagle does not mingle with vultures; it is not found in the midst of mediocrity. The eagle does not feed on dead meat—dead meat, for me, is likened to corruption.
As we press forward to rebuild our dear country, Nigeria, we must all eschew corruption at all levels and deliberately purposefully institute people-centred programs and policies by the leadership. The followership must, as a corresponding duty, own these programs and policies. Eagles are strong birds.
The eagle in Nigeria’s Coat of Arms signifies strength, and Nigeria is a country of tremendous strength. Finally, the eagle nurtures its younger ones to realize their capabilities and attain independence. This is our charge to the leadership in this nation. This prescription is equal for all Nigerians in various spheres of endeavour.
Learned Colleagues, our annual conference, as always, provides a veritable platform for knowledge exchange. We bring together thought leaders and policymakers from various spheres of endeavour, including business, academia, the corporate world, and civil society.
Of great delight to me, and I am sure to many of you, is the fact that our Keynote Speaker for this year’s conference is none other than Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, GCON, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and one of Nigeria’s leading lights on the world stage.
As a distinguished Nigerian and development economist par excellence with a stellar career spanning several decades of national, international, and global impact, it is our honour and privilege to have Dr Okonjo-Iweala deliver the Keynote address at this opening ceremony. If one sets out to look for a Nigerian who has exhibited the traits of an eagle and meets Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, one would look no further.
The decision to invite her as keynote speaker came after careful consideration. As the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization, a former Managing Director of the World Bank, and the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, among others, she is no doubt a role model and an inspiration to all of us, particularly to women in Nigeria and beyond.
Of the about 145,000 lawyers on the roll of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, nearly 70% are females, many of whom overcame great challenges to become lawyers. I can, therefore, say without fear of contradiction that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s personality resonates with the majority of the members of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Beyond shattering glass ceilings to get into those positions, she challenged the status quo and made significant positive changes, which left no one in doubt that she was eminently qualified to take on those responsibilities.
We have Amina Suleiman Kaoje as the alternate chair, Laura Alakija as the secretary, and Chika Okolie as the Alternate Secretary. The excellence you now see and will yet encounter in the course of this conference is largely a function of the AGCPC led by these women, and I extend my profound gratitude to the Committee on behalf of the Bar.
In the next two days, we will have one plenary session and 31 breakout sessions on different topics curated around security, the economy, the administration of justice, and professional development. These have been the areas of focus of our administration over the past two years.
We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his demonstrated commitment to sustainable reforms in the justice sector. His Excellency undoubtedly realizes that reforms in the justice sector are a sine qua non to achieving his administration’s vision for socio-economic and political development, with attendant prosperity for the good people of Nigeria.
Through our interactions, His Excellency, the Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, GCON, has shown a clear understanding of the core issues and challenges bedeviling the administration of the justice system. Our every interaction with him always yields forward-looking proposals, some of which we have appropriated for our advocacy on the reform of key justice institutions.
I have mentioned at every public occasion and forum that Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, is a well-made choice as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. The evidence lies in the rapid progress that has been made in the areas of administration of justice reform, public interest issues, and the professional development of legal practitioners.
I want to acknowledge the presence of His Excellency Mr. John Dramani Mahama, the former President of the Republic of Ghana, for coming all the way to grace this event and share his wealth of knowledge and experience.
This is a huge sacrifice, seeing that His Excellency is in the middle of his campaigns for the presidential elections in December this year. We thank Your Excellency for honouring us with your presence. As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest shall not cease, and what a man sows, he shall reap. Your Excellency has sown honour in the ground of the NBA—which is fertile ground—and will certainly reap honour in return. We are grateful.
Finally, I will not end without expressing our immense gratitude to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for once again graciously hosting the Nigerian Bar Association. We thank Mr. Governor and are very grateful for the leadership qualities he brings to bear in the affairs of Lagos State.
We have planned this conference to be unlike any other. I want to urge all participants to take full advantage of the knowledge of the array of our distinguished speakers from across the globe. I, therefore, call on all of us to immerse ourselves in this knowledge-sharing exercise as we equip ourselves with the necessary tools to press forward towards rebuilding Nigeria.
Knowing that nature abhors a vacuum, the members of the NBA, on 20th July 2024, went to the polls and have elected my successor, Mazi Afam Josiah Osigwe, SAN, who will, by the grace of God Almighty, to lead our newly elected National Executive Committee for the next two years. Congratulations, the Golden Boy of the NBA.
In response to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President’s directive, the First Vice President, Sabastine Anyia Esq., has initiated efforts to coordinate
