The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) stand that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu was unconstitutional and illegal.
Wike alleged that the NBA discredited Tinubu’s decision because the Rivers State Government had promised to host their annual general conference.
The minister stated this when officials of the Body of Benchers, led by its Chairman, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), visited him in Abuja on Friday, March 28, 2025.
He added that the association did not support the declaration of the state of emergency because there would be no money to give to the NBA for the conference.
“What kind of hypocrisy is this?” Wike queried.
Wike enjoined the Body of Benchers to call the NBA to order over the association’s “unnecessary” criticism of the judiciary.
The minister said the body should not sit and watch while the NBA and its members “destroy” the legal profession.
He stated that some of the NBA members often, without reading a judgement, go on national television to condemn the judgement and criticise the judges.
Wike said such actions have continued with no sanction.
Wike added: “If you don’t discipline somebody, nobody will learn any lesson.
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“We shall no longer allow our profession to be pulled down. I cannot believe, as a lawyer, that you make a contribution to help the legal profession, and you will be criticised by your fellow lawyers.
“Time has come that we need to say, look, enough is enough. We cannot continue to discourage our judges and justices. It is not done anywhere.
“I have never seen where members of a profession are the ones who are bent on bringing the profession down.”
The minister also accused the NBA of describing any support rendered by the executive arm of government to the judicial arm as a bribe.
Wike recalled that when the NBA was building its national secretariat, the leadership wrote to the executive for support, adding that nobody saw that as a bribe.
He said: “I was the only one who contributed to the NBA to build the national secretariat. The NBA didn’t see it as a bribe.
“When you contribute to the Body of Benchers, it is a bribe, but when you contribute to the NBA it is not a bribe; they will take it.
“The same NBA will rely on state governments to sponsor their activities, but when the state government supports the judiciary, it is bribery.”
Wike said the constant taunting of judges and justices had made them avoid attending social gatherings or going to church or mosque for fear of molestation.
He added that judges could no longer shake people’s hands freely because lawyers would accuse them of collecting bribes.
Wike said: “It has gotten to the stage that our judges are so scared of going to a mosque or church or even greeting somebody they know because of fear of bribery.
“They run away from shaking people’s hands because they will start accusing them of collecting bride. This must stop.”
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