The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, is desirous to see Nigerians enjoy the basic socio-economic rights provided in the Nigerian Constitution as well as other enabling laws.
To this end, the NBA-SPIDEL, whose vision is to make public interest and development law a fundamental aspect of national life and development, is planning a town hall meeting on February 28, 2022 at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja GRA in Lagos.
The aim of the town hall meeting, according to Dr. Monday Ubani, chairman, NBA-SPIDEL, is to arouse the consciousness of critical institutions of government, particularly the Judiciary and Legislature, with a view to ensuring the enforcement of the basic socio-economic rights provided in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other enabling laws for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
The town hall meeting, with the theme “Justiciability of Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution – Pragmatic Measures for Government’s Accountability”, will see judicial officers, political actors, legislators, lawyers and civil society leaders gather to discuss this very important topic.
Dr. Ubani, in a statement on behalf of NBA-SPIDEL, confirmed that Hon. Justice Helen Ogunwumiju of the Supreme Court of Nigeria will chair the town hall meeting while Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, human rights lawyer, will be the lead speaker.
Discussants include Hon. Luke Oniofiok, chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), Executive Secretary, Nigerian Human Rights Commission, Justice Kazeem Alogba, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Onuoha Ogwe, Chief Judge of Abia State, Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director, Enough is Enough (EiE), and Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
SPIDEL, which is the NBA’s commitment to promoting the role and application of law to economic development and growth of public interest law in Nigeria, has been living up to its bidding.
In 2021, ahead of the NBA-SPIDEL yearly conference held in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr. Ubani had decried the delay in implementing provisions of the Constitution concerning autonomy of the judiciary.
“We want a judiciary that doesn’t go behind begging the executive to give them their resources in order to carry out the basic responsibilities that the constitution has imposed on them. We want a judiciary that can deliver justice without fear or favour, its long-term effect is what we are looking at.”