A licensed lawyer in Nigeria and the United States of America, Christian ornsaye, has urged the Nigerian lawyers association (NBA) to explore new opportunities to expand the scope of legal practice in the country.
In an exclusive interview with Tribune Online on Tuesday, Oronsaye declared that the bar has not done enough for the legal profession to be profitable in Nigeria, and that more effort should be directed to achieve that goal.
Gordassay, who was the best student who graduated in the Nigerian Law Faculty with a first class title, expressed concern that the legal practice in Nigeria is considerably limited compared to the United States, where the grievance process continually expands individual rights.
He explained that many United States headquarters refer to themselves as “gangsters” due to their ability to identify and create opportunities for legal challenges and enforce rights through the legal system.
Citing an example, he pointed out the difficulty of submitting a lawsuit against the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) in Nigeria for not carrying out an investigation or to do poor job, except through the limited route of the application of fundamental rights.
He added that there is a similar situation with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), where only the government seems to have the legal position to initiate a lawsuit, instead of the communities to which the agency must serve.
“My recommendation to the Nigerian lawyers association is to begin identifying opportunities to expand legal practice,” Oonsaye said.
“After having worked in Nigeria, I believe that the Association of Lawyers has failed to make the profession profitable.
“On the contrary, we have found ways to make legal practice profitable in the United States. There is even a term that lawyers use in the United States, we call ourselves 'Gangsters', because we promote the system creating legal challenges and opportunities for compliance with rights.
“There is always some form of grievance process that continues to expand legal rights almost every day.
“In Nigeria, our practice areas are limited. If it is not in the public service, then it is in private practice, and even within private practice, the scope of work is quite narrow.
“For example, in addition to presenting a case of fundamental rights, it is difficult to sue the EFCC for not investigating or for the mismanagement of a case.
“Take the NDDC, for example. It seems that only the government can sue the agency when it does not fulfill its mandate, instead of the affected communities where the agency must operate,” he said.
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