Minister of state for Works, Barrister Muhammad Bello Goronyo has charged lawyers to present themselves to serve as key drivers in the ongoing fight against corruption and promotion of rule of law, which highlights the eight priority areas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister who made the call in Sokoto at the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Young Lawyers Forum Summit, organised by the Sokoto State Branch of the NBA, implored them to work hard to contribute their respective quotas towards the attainment of these noble objectives.
According to him, “Nigeria’s legal system, like many around the world, faces serious challenges, ranging from inefficient justice delivery, a persistent need to curb judicial corruption and outdated laws that do not always reflect and address the current realities.
“As young lawyers, you must strive to build character and a name for yourselves.
To succeed in building character and name, you must equip yourselves with the knowledge of the relevant provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers, which prohibit certain unethical conduct or practices among lawyers.”
The minister cautioned the young lawyers against the ‘get rich quick syndrome’ counseling them to harness the opportunities available within the bounds of the law to impact positively on the nation’s judicial and legal communities.
Chairman of the summit and chief judge of Sokoto, Justice Saidu Sifawa , admonished the young lawyers to uphold professionalism and avail themselves of learning to expand the broad range of their knowledge to prepare them for the task ahead.
He said, “The challenges young lawyers are facing today are more distressing, one of which is owing to their being young in the profession. These challenges pose significant obstacles to their ability to unfold their potential. As we gather here today, we must recognize the urgency of those challenges and other issues that affect young lawyers, with a view to harnessing collective efforts to overcome them.”
Also speaking at the event, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Nigerian Army Sokoto, Brigadier General Ibikunle Ajosse urged the young lawyers to use their legal knowledge to assist the less privileged and the marginalized members of the society, to uphold justice and also contribute to the betterment of the society.
He said, “As you embark on this journey, I urge you to maintain the highest standards of integrity, ethics and professionalism. Let your actions be guided by the principles of justice equity and fairness.”
The army chief also used the avenue to announce a planned partnership with the legal practitioners in the state to hold a counter terrorism law summit.
Chairman of the Sokoto branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Rasheedat Abubakar, reaffirmed commitment of the branch to support young lawyers to attain professional excellence and career progression through discipline and knowledge acquisition.
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