NBA Inaugurates Nine Committees for Effective Performance

Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) monday inaugurated nine different committees as part of efforts to ensure effective performance of the body, both in its services to members and the g public.

The committees which spanned from welfare to human rights and anti-corruption were inaugurated by President of the NBA, Abubakar Mahmud (SAN), Monday in Abuja.
Mahmud said the establishment of committees was fundamental to ensuring a more active Bar as it is not possible for the national officers or the secretariat to deal with all activities and functions of the Bar.

“The use of committees allows lawyers who have interest and expertise in a particular area to focus on specific issues.

“In view of the foregoing, this administration has constituted some committees with a view to achieving our set objective,” he said.

Accordingly, the welfare committee is said to be saddled with the responsibility of designing a nationwide insurance policy to cover the risk to which legal practitioners are exposed to in the course or performance of their duties such as accidents, death, whether by natural causes or other means.

The Committee on Human Rights Institute Governing Council was given the task to advocate for the implementation of national action plan on human rights and coordinate human rights policies and programmes at the national and branch levels.

The Committee on Anti-Corruption has the mandate to work with the 125 branches of the NBA to set up an Anti-Corruption Committee in each Branch and maintain the highest standards of conduct aimed at avoiding corrupt practices at the Bar and the Bench.

Other committees inaugurated are the; NBA Election Working Group, Criminal Justice and Law Reform, NBA E Editorial Board, NBA legislative and advocacy committee and Young Lawyers Forum.

The NBA president in his speech during the inauguration ceremony said, “I conclude by reiterating the importance of committee work to the scheme of activities of this administration.

“The reports you turn in will not be left gathering dust in the archives. They will be implemented, either at the level of your national officers or NEC or conference or even relevant national institutions”.

The NBA President while appealing to lawyers in the country to respect order of seniority at the bar, also advised lawyers not to express their grievances against the leadership of the Nigerian judiciary on social media but rather, make use of the appropriate channel for resolving issues.