“Privileges come with responsibilities” – Osinbajo to BOSAN

Nigeriaís Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has said that the privilege conferred on Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), comes with enormous responsibilities.

Speaking at the maiden dinner organised by the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) over the weekend to welcome newly elevated Senior Advocates, the Vice President urged members of the inner bar to recognise that the privilege of the rank (of Senior Advocate of Nigeria) came with a primary duty to ensure that the ethics of the legal profession is preserved.

ìWe must see that justice is done at all times and ensure also that the administration of justice is improved upon.î

Osinbajo further urged his BOSAN colleagues to continue to promote the ethics of the profession whilst themselves maintain the highest ethical standards.

ìIt is important for us to regulate and discipline ourselves, so that the profession will stand strong and endure the test of times,î he said.

In his speech, which was read by Hon. Justice Inyang Okoro, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, also urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria to balance the privileges inherent in their enviable status with the weight of expectations on the part of those who use their services, and the society at large. He called for the institution of a pre-conferment induction programme for newly-preferred with a view to inculcating the needed values in them.

Earlier in her opening remarks, Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, who is the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed great delight at the emergence of other female Senior Advocates over the years, but also displeasure at the falling standards creeping up on the legal profession. These according to her includes, ìdisrespectful, foul language and tone being employed by some lawyers in addressing judges in court.î

She thus called for a change of attitude on the part of members of the Bar.

The guest speaker and Nigeriaís former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, stated that the primary factor of any leadership was ëresponsibility,í which according to him meant that a leader must keep faith with the expectations of the people in respect to quality, timeliness, cost- effectiveness and the result of their work.

Siting a past presentation of his, Kolade said, ìI am strongly convinced that the future of successful leadership in Nigeria will not begin among the politicians or the holders of public office, whether they be in uniform or in plain clothes.

ìMy belief is that, for the new leadership that we seek, we must turn to the people who belong to the professions ñ the people who undergo specific training to acquire certain knowledge and skills, the people who are instructed and trained in the meaning and application of ethics and standards, the people who have voluntarily prepared themselves to render service, and who are committed to life-long acceptance of the fact that they must stand ready to be judged by their performance.

He concluded, ìclearly, we have no hope of developing successful leaders in government or politics until we clean up our leadership act at the levels where our professionals operateî.

The former ambassador thus called on members of the inner bar to inculcate the attributes of good leaders, such as self-discipline; accountability; courage and strength; good values, ethics and standards; the ability to empower people; the will to stand firm; commitment, great interpersonal skills: effective communication; readiness to admit an error; the right balance of power and authority; and to always be people-focused.

He said, ìA good leader should be a person of high standards, always able to show a good example in his own work and relationships. This enables followers to fix their focus on ennobling standards as well, and the general tone of the entire community is uplifted.

ìLet us remember that the leader succeeds best by working sincerely for the good of the corporate body, not for selfish or narrow interests. It should be obvious that a society or an organization that is in wholesome condition is best able to provide for the genuine welfare of its individual members. Where the community itself is in poor shape, the prospects for the individual are pretty dim.î

One of the early highlights of the evening was the formal welcome extended by the body towards newly preferred SANs.

The Dinner Organising Committee was chaired by Damian Dodo, SAN, while Paul Usoro, SAN served as the Alternate Chair of the committee.