Newly sworn-in Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), has vowed to take decisive action against lawyers who use abusive and insulting language against colleagues on social media.
Badejo-Okusanya, who was sworn in as the 33rd president of the NBA, said her administration would have “scant tolerance” for professional misconduct, particularly the use of offensive language by lawyers in political disputes.
She spoke in her inaugural address after taking over the association’s leadership from Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN).
The new NBA president said lawyers found guilty of making abusive or insulting posts against colleagues would face public proceedings, stressing that such conduct damaged the profession’s reputation.
“Such lawyers will be subjected to public proceedings for bringing us all into disrepute in the eyes of the public, who look up to us and are increasingly aghast, as all right-thinking colleagues are, at the type of language that lawyers employ on social media against other colleagues, all in the name of politics.
Badejo-Okusanya also pledged that her administration would defend judicial independence while speaking out against delays, conflicting judgments, corruption and other practices capable of undermining public confidence in the justice system.
She said respect for the judiciary did not require the NBA to remain silent about its shortcomings.
She said: “We will support the Bench while insisting on the integrity and efficiency of the justice system.
“We will defend judicial independence, but we will not be indifferent to delay, conflicting decisions, corruption, or conduct that diminishes public confidence. Respect for institutions does not require silence about their shortcomings. True respect requires the courage to help them.”
The NBA president promised to engage government constructively but warned that the association would not become an instrument of any administration, political party, region, religion, interest group or individual.
She said the NBA’s loyalty would remain with the Constitution, justice, the rule of law and its members.
“We will collaborate where collaboration advances the public good. We will challenge where challenge becomes necessary. And above all, we will act with facts, fairness, discipline, and boldness,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya also promised continuity in NBA leadership, saying she would retain and build on initiatives that worked while repairing those that did not.
She said she had studied the manifestos of her co-contestants and identified ideas worthy of implementation.
“Where we adopt them, I will not hesitate to acknowledge their source, and give credit where it’s due,” she said.
According to her, the NBA was bigger than individual leaders and its progress must be cumulative and sustained.
She described the association as the largest body of legal professionals in Africa, saying its branches, sections, fora and committees possessed the knowledge, influence, creativity and courage needed to transform the profession and the country.
She pledged to work towards a bar where young lawyers across Nigeria could access quality learning and professional opportunities, members could receive prompt responses to their concerns, branches were empowered, appointments were transparent and technology worked effectively. DownloadInteractive Maps
She also promised stronger consequences for professional misconduct and said every lawyer should be able to see tangible value in belonging to the NBA.