International Adoptions: Legality of Adoption By Non – Nigerians in Nigeria | Elvira Salleras

International Adoptions: Legality of Adoption By Non – Nigerians in Nigeria | Elvira Salleras

Over the last few years, I have received several enquiries from non-Nigerians living abroad, wishing to be advised on the correctness of the statement published by the US embassy in Nigeria on its official website: “Individuals who are not Nigerian citizens are not legally allowed to adopt in Nigeria.  When a married couple is adopting, both must be Nigerian citizens.  Only U.S. citizens who also have Nigerian citizenship are allowed to adopt children in Nigeria.  Nigerian adoption laws are complex and vary from state to state.”

By this statement, the US embassy is asserting that all non-Nigerians who adopt Nigerian children are doing so illegally. This article seeks to throw more light on the subject and set the records straight. For clarity, I have numbered each sentence comprised in the statement and will address them sequentially:
1.  Individuals who are not Nigerian citizens are not legally allowed to adopt in Nigeria.
2. When a married couple is adopting, both must be Nigerian citizens.   
3. Only U.S. citizens who also have Nigerian citizenship are allowed to adopt children in Nigeria.
4. Nigerian adoption laws are complex and vary from state to state. 
Sentences nos.1 and 2 are sweeping, categorical assertions, which when read together with Sentence no.4, suggest that the US Embassy had read and analyzed the relevant laws of each of the thirty-six Nigerian states plus that of the Federal Capital Territory, before concluding that they all prohibit adoption by non-Nigerians. Interestingly, such a position seems to be contradicted by the same Sentence no.4, which states that Nigerian adoption laws vary from state to state. 
In practice, while the adoption laws or policies of some states such as Rivers and Enugu as well as the Federal Capital territory expressly prohibit adoption by non-Nigerians, others including Cross River and Lagos, provide exceptions for adoption by non-Nigerians. Indeed, when the Lagos state government amended its Child’s Rights Law (CRL) in 2015, it completely removed the mention of “non-Nigerian” from the section relating to restrictions on the making of adoption orders. This was done to eliminate the pre-existing ambiguity on adoption by non-Nigerians (see Section 121, CRL). Furthermore, in Section 133, CRL which provides for the “licence to give child for Inter-state adoption”, the best interest of the child is the paramount consideration (Section 133 (3)) and no mention of the adopter’s nationality is made.
Hence such sweeping generalizations as reflected in Sentences no.1 and 2 above, at best constitute a subjective opinion calculated to serve the purposes of the US government. Indeed, the US government is at liberty to prohibit its citizens who are non-Nigerians from adopting Nigerian children in line with its immigration policies. But in seeking to justify this stance by leveraging on a subjective interpretation of all the adoption laws in Nigeria, the US government could be unwittingly pushing the limits of fact. 
Sentence no.3: Such a position is obviously a matter of US government policy which is therefore valid for their purposes and consequently outside the scope of this article. 
Sentence no.4: The statement, “Nigerian Adoption laws are complex”, without supporting evidence or explanation is at best, a simplistic expression of opinion or judgment.
In light of the above, I am of the opinion that the publication in issue, in so far as it tars all adoptions by non-Nigerians with the same brush of illegality and complexity, is hasty, ill-informed and likely to mislead the public. Therefore, it should be modified to reflect the reality of international adoptions in Nigeria.
Elvira Salleras, BL, LLM, ACTI 
Elvira was called to the Nigerian bar in 1989 and is an expert in inter-country adoptions and cross-border transactions. She is the Managing Partner of Elvira Salleras + Associates, a multi-disciplinary legal practice based in Lagos and founder of Literacy, Integration and Formal E

ducation Foundation, a child-focused NGO.


Register For Dispute Resolution and Forensic Document Examination Training for Lawyers

Register For Dispute Resolution and Forensic Document Examination Training for Lawyers

For Lawyers advocacy means
representing the interests of the client in the best manner possible, therefore
an advocate must be equipped with a variety of skills. 

This training is
designed to offer intensive legal advocacy and dispute resolution training to
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Please note the following
details about the training –
TRAINING OVERVIEW
Theme
The Art of Legal Advocacy
Modules:
 
         
Litigation
         
Arbitration 
         
Mediation
         
Forensic Documents Examination
         
Legal Writing  
         
Law Firm Profitability
Date:
26th and 27th September, 2019
Time:
9am – 5pm daily
Duration of Class:
2hrs each
Venue:
Neca House, Hakeem Balogun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos 

Members of Faculty
·        
Mr.
OlabodeOlanipekun SAN, Partner, Wole Olanipekun  Co.,
·        
Dr.
AbiodunOsiyemi; President, Forensic Science Academy
·        
Mr.
FolaAlade ASCMA (UK); Principal Partner, Fotefa Partners 
·        
Dr.
Chinua Asuzu, Dean, The Write House; Senior Partner, Assizes Law Firm
·        
Miss
BusolaAjala , CEO, Strictly Law Business 
·        Mr. Tolu Aderemi LLM
(Netherlands), Partner, Pearchstone  & Graeys       

 

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Early Bird (Ends September, 5, 2019) – N40,000

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Wages and Salaries In Nigeria: A Human Rights Issue? | Fifehan Ogunde

Wages and Salaries In Nigeria: A Human Rights Issue? | Fifehan Ogunde

In April 2019, the Federal government signed into law the Miminum wage Repeal and Enactment Bill increasing the minimum wage across Nigeria from 18,000 Naira per month (US$50) to 30,000 Naira per month (US$83). Some have regarded this as good news for workers and labour unions in Nigeria are pushing earnestly for its implementation. 

The discussion surrounding wages and salaries in general have always been considered an economic issue but there may be a case for a view that making it a fundamental rights issue could provide greater legitimacy for labour standards advocates.
Article 7 of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) recognizes the right of everyone to ‘just and favourable conditions of work’ part of which include remuneration which provides workers with fair wages. This right is also recognized by the African Charter on Human and People’s rights. Remuneration for work under these instruments must also provide a decent standard of living for one and his family. Minimum wages under the ILO Convention are expected to take into consideration among others, costs of living and the needs of workers and their families. Average living costs for a single person in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital is about 171,000 a month ($475) without rent and 622,000 is needed for the living expenses of an average family. Many internships in Nigeria offer a stipendiary pay of 40,000($146) per month or less. The average salary for skilled labour in Nigeria is 57,200 naira per month ($209) and the 25,200 per month for low skilled labour. An average salary which is less than a third of the living costs of a single individual is grossly insufficient for the maintenance of a ‘decent’ standard of living as envisaged by ICESCR, The International Labour Organization Minimum Wage fixing Convention 1970 and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. As bad as this appears, this may not be the worst. At different times, labour workers in Nigeria have embarked on industrial actions over unpaid salaries at federal government level. Unpaid salaries by certain state governments have resulted in more tragic consequences of government workers begging on the street. These are all in themselves violations of international law obligations by the Nigerian government at different levels and should be seen as such
Surprisingly, other than isolated strike actions by the Nigeria Labour Congress, there is limited advocacy on the need for pay to protect decent living standards and in any case, the body only acts with respect to public sector workers. Why is this so? One can only attribute the limited agitation to a lack of awareness as to the status of just and favourable conditions of work as fundamental rights. When human rights issues are discussed in Nigeria even by international organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, focus is normally directed towards issues such as police brutality, domestic violence and extrajudicial killings. Employment rights are also critical human rights that deserve protection by both government and non-government actors. Not only are they recognized as explicit rights under international law, they are inextricably linked to other fundamental rights. 
Can we improve things? The answer to this is that improvement is difficult but not impossible. A vast majority of employers of labour are micro-businesses and SMEs in the informal economy with high running costs that are not matched by revenue. It is difficult to not only mandate private employers of labour to pay proper living wages but also enforce such mandates. Nevertheless, making fair wages a human rights issue brings into play matters of national, regional and international law and the added pressure may compel the government to take steps in this regard. Perhaps the best place to start is holding the government accountable with respect to the public sector. Where government fails to pay workers as at when due, redress of some sort should be available for workers, ideally in the courts of law. Private sector operators registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission should be placed under an obligation to pay workers fairly and equitably with fines and revocation of licenses possible sanctions for organizations that breach these obligations. This function must be diligently exercised by either the Corporate Affairs Commission or the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission which is the body responsible for monitoring the compliance with minimum wage obligations at federal and state government level. This commission should also be responsible for monitoring living standards and making recommendations on an acceptable minimum wage based on decent living standards.
Monitoring for compliance with international standards should also extend to our student and graduate schemes particularly with respect to unpaid internships. 48% of young people in the UK have undertaken an unpaid internship and more than half of internship schemes in Europe are unpaid. As at 2016, About half of the 1.5 internships in the US were unpaid. Internship schemes are also on the rise in Nigeria and while specific data on unpaid in Nigeria may not be available, a number of companies offer unpaid internships. This does not change the fact as non-volunteer work without remuneration, unpaid internship may violate the right to just working conditions. For corporate organizations that offer internship schemes, pay must be commensurate with an individual’s educational and professional qualifications. It must also take into context current living standards as with other forms of full-time employment.
Wages and salaries are not just financial or economic subjects. They also raise human rights issues that must be recongized as such.
Register For Early Bird At The Career Training For Lawyers

Register For Early Bird At The Career Training For Lawyers

This training is designed to offer intensive legal advocacy and dispute resolution training to lawyers and equip participants with the necessary skills required in today’s global business and legal world.

TRAINING OVERVIEW
Theme: The Art of Legal Advocacy
MODULES – ·  Litigation ·  Arbitration ·  Mediation ·  Legal Writing ·  Forensic Document Examination ·  Law Firm Marketing & Profitability
MEMBERS OF FACULTY
1.  Mr. Olabode Olanipekun SAN, Partner, Wole Olanipekun & Co., 2.  Dr. Abiodun Osiyemi; President, Forensic Science Academy
3.  Mr. Fola Alade ASCMA (UK); Principal Partner, Fotefa Partners 
4.  Dr. Chinua Asuzu, Dean, The Write House; Senior Partner, Assizes Law Firm
5.  Miss Busola Ajala , CEO, Strictly Law Business
6.  Mr. Tolu Aderemi LLM (Netherlands), Partner, Pearchstone & Graeys 
VENUE – 
NECA House, Plot A2, Hakeem Balogun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos
DATE – 
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TIME – 
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IBA President to launch report on bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession, at NBA AGC

IBA President to launch report on bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession, at NBA AGC

At the invitation of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Paul Usoro, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Horacio Bernardes Neto, President of the International Bar Association (IBA), will give an address at the opening ceremony of the 59th Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference(AGC) on Monday 26 August 2019.

The following day, Mr Bernardes will launch the IBA’s landmark report Us Too? Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession and discuss the issues the report raises. He will also give a keynote address at the NBA’s Rule of Law Symposium, on the importance of promoting and protecting the rule of law. The final programme is available here.


On Mr Bernardes’ imminent visit, Mr Usoro SAN commented: ‘On behalf of the NBA, I am delighted that IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto is to participate in our Annual General Conference. He has stated that Africa is to be a priority of his two-year tenure with the aim of increasing the presence of the IBA in Africa and of Africa in the IBA. I am looking forward to mutual co-operation on his initiatives that will bring enduring change to the legal profession, including addressing the insidious issues of bullying and sexual harassment. This visit will build on and strengthen the existing relationship between our two organisations.
Nigeria is the latest stop on an IBA global campaign trail to bring attention to the startling rates of bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession and to work to halt such behaviour. The campaign will take place across six continents. So far, major international cities in Europe, The Americas and Australia have held well-received launch events. Next month the report will be launched in Asia, in South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, during the 2019 IBA Annual Conference.
Commenting on his participation at the NBA AGC Mr Bernardes said: ‘I am deeply honoured to have been invited by President Usoro, SAN, to attend this prestigious gathering, and I am very much looking forward to greeting longstanding friends of the IBA, as well as meeting anew many of Nigeria’s fine jurists on this trip’. On the report, he said: ‘It is deeply shameful that our profession, predicated on the highest ethical standards, is rife with such negative workplace behaviours. Bar associations, law societies and law firms must lead by example and expose unacceptable behaviour. The IBA is working to ensure that eradicating bullying and sexual harassment is prioritised. We must work for positive change.
The 130-page landmark report draws on data collected from nearly 7,000 surveyed legal professionals from 135 countries, conducted by the IBA’s Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) in collaboration with consultancy firm Acritas. Respondents participated from workplaces across the legal spectrum, including law firms, in-house, barristers’ chambers, government and the judiciary. The results provide insight into the nature, prevalence and impact of bullying and sexual harassment across the sector.
NBa President, Paul Usoro SAN 
The findings from the survey respondents include:
  • one in two women and one in three men have experienced bullying in the workplace;
  • one in three women and one in 14 men have been sexually harassed;
  • in 57 per cent of bullying cases, incidents were not reported, with the figure rising to 75 per cent for episodes of sexual harassment;
  • there is considerable adverse impact, with 65 per cent of bullied practitioners having left or considered leaving their workplace as a result;
  • workplaces are not doing enough to prevent or adequately respond to misconduct, with policies regarding bullying and sexual harassment present in only 53 per cent of workplaces; and
  • just one in five workplaces have conducted training in recognising and reporting problems in these areas.

Click here to download a Report summary.
IBA LPRU Legal Advisor Kieran Pender, who led the project, said: ‘Our research found that targets of bullying and sexual harassment very rarely report the misconduct to their workplaces or regulators. They don’t report because of the status of the perpetrator, fear of repercussions and because the incidents are often endemic to the workplace. These issues affect all parts of the profession, from entry-level trainees to attorneys-general. We must take responsibility and develop standards of conduct to make it clear that this behaviour has no place in our profession.
The recommendations set out by the IBA to aid the legal profession in urgently addressing workplace bullying and sexual harassment focus on raising greater awareness of these issues; implementing and revising policies and standards; the importance of improved training; increased dialogue and greater accountability across the profession; increasing intra-profession dialogue and best practice sharing; developing flexible reporting models; and maintaining momentum to achieve genuine change.
Noting that bullying and sexual harassment are not unique to the legal sector, Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director, said: ‘These types of behaviour are insidious and must be confronted. The legal profession has been called upon regularly to advise other industries on bullying and sexual harassment. However, our ability to drive broader change is undermined if our own house is not in order. The IBA will promote cross-sector collaboration to ensure these societal-wide issues are addressed.
Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC, Director of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, said in her closing remarks at the London launch: ‘Lawyers and other legal professionals must be able to work in environments that are safe and supportive. Bullying and sexual harassment is never appropriate, and the profession must do all it can to stamp out such misconduct.
The NBA AGC will be held from August 23 – 29 at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
  1. Click here for a short biography of Horacio Bernardes Neto, IBA President and senior partner of leading Brazilian law firm Motta Fernandes Advogados.
  2. Click here for full details about the NBA AGC.
  3. The IBA President’s participation
    Monday August 26
    0900 – 1100: Opening Ceremony Address

    Tuesday August 27

    1100 – 1230: Launch of IBA Report on Bullying and Sexual Harassment

    1400 – 1600: Rule of Law Symposium, Why Rule of Law?

  4. Africa related links: IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto and IBA Executive Director Mark Ellis visited South Africa in June 2019. The visit was organised by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and Keith Baker, IBA Honorary Life Member. Read more here: www.ibanet.org/IBA-President-and-Executive-Director-visit-South-Africa.aspx
  5. The full report Us Too? Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession is available to download free of charge from the IBA website at:
  6. Quick facts:
      – one in two female respondents and one in three male respondents have experienced bullying in the workplace;
      – one in three female respondents and one in 14 male respondents have been sexually harassed in connection with work;
      – 57 per cent of bullying cases and 75 per cent of sexual harassment cases go unreported;
      – 65 per cent of bullied practitioners have left or considered leaving their workplace; and
      – only 22 per cent of legal workplaces have been trained to address bullying and sexual harassment.
  7. The launch event of Us Too? Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession was held at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in London, England, on Wednesday 15 May 2019. Dame Laura Cox DBE, who led the Independent Inquiry on Bullying and Harassment of House of Commons Staff, provided the keynote address.
  8. The project was developed in collaboration with an IBA working group, consisting of 16 IBA members from across the globe representing all IBA Regional Fora and relevant committees. Emerita Professor Margaret Thornton, Emerita Professor Patricia Easteal AMand Kate Eastman SC acted as independent experts, reviewing a draft of the report. The project was also supported by many of the IBA’s 190 bar associations and law societies and 200 group member law firms, from over 170 countries.
  9. A global engagement campaign, from May to September 2019, is underway with events having taken place in:
      – London
      – Edinburgh;
      – Mexico City;
      – New York City;
      – Washington DC;
      – Brussels;
      – Sydney;
      – Canberra; and
      – Melbourne

    For the full listing, check the IBA website at:

    The campaign will culminate with a showcase session at the 2019 IBA Annual Conference in Seoul, with Julia Gillard, a former lawyer and now Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, delivering the keynote address.

  10. The International Bar Association (IBA) – the global voice of the legal profession – is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world’s bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

    In the ensuing 70 years since its creation, the organisation has evolved from an association comprised exclusively of bar associations and law societies to one that incorporates individual international lawyers and entire law firms. The present membership is comprised of more than 80,000 individual international lawyers from most of the world’s leading law firms and some 190 bar associations and law societies spanning more than 170 countries.

    The IBA has considerable expertise in providing assistance to the global legal community, and through its global membership, it influences the development of international law reform and helps to shape the future of the legal profession throughout the world.

    The IBA’s administrative office is in London, United Kingdom. Regional offices are located in: São Paulo, Brazil; Seoul, South Korea; and Washington DC, United States, while the International Bar Association’s International Criminal Court and International Criminal Law Programme (ICC & ICL) is managed from an office in The Hague, the Netherlands.

    The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), an autonomous and financially independent entity, works to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a just rule of law, and to preserve the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession worldwide.

Source – iba.net
For further information please contact:
Romana St. Matthew – Daniel

Press Office


International Bar Association

4th Floor, 10 St Bride Street,
London EC4A 4AD

Mobile: +44 (0)7940 731 915
Direct Line: +44 (0)20 7842 0094
Main Office: +44 (0)20 7842 0090
Fax: +44 (0)20 7842 0091

Website: www.ibanet.org
Sexual Harassment: The Role of The Law For The Vulnerable | Charles Ndubuisi Iroh

Sexual Harassment: The Role of The Law For The Vulnerable | Charles Ndubuisi Iroh

There are several cases of sexual harassment where dreams and aspirations has been shattered by randy employers, who feel entitled to every woman before them in order to offer them legitimate employment. This has become a norm in Nigeria. 

In the church, a sister is sexually harassed because she is seeking for the fruit of the womb; some doctors harass their female patients; teachers harass their students sexually; the employer or supervisor would seek on employee’s promotion because she/he refused to grace his/her bed! The story is endless.
Sexual harassment denotes ‘Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when;
(1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly in a term or condition of an individual’s employment, 
(2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual,
(3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.’
According to the UN, harassment does not need to be sexual in nature; it can be offensive comments, gestures etc. Most importantly, both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. It can also occur anywhere: in the church, mosque, workplace, hospital etc. But the most common is workplace. A vital element is that such gestures or actions are without the consent of the victim.
It is in recognition of the nature of sexual harassment that both international and regional regimes have categorized it as a human rights violation. In Nigeria, the 1999 constitution has also provided for right to dignity of human person and right to freedom from discrimination. It has however been observed that no serious measures have been put in placeby the Labour Act, which is the foremost regulation that addresses labour and employment. It is silent on what constitutes sexual harassment and makes no provision for remedy. Furthermore, the provision of the Employee’s Compensation Act is too remote to provide for damages suffered by an employee.
As a result of the lacuna in the Labour law, the National Industrial Court, which has been conferred exclusive jurisdiction on matters connected to labour, work place and industrial relation matters etc. It is in relation to this jurisdiction that the National Industrial Court in case of Ejike Maduka v Microsoft and 2 Ors  held that the sexual harassment of the Applicant is an infringement on her fundamental right to dignity of human person and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed by sections 34 and 42 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and sections 15 and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. 
The decisions of the National Industrial cases are in conformity with international best practices as it relates to labour law. The National Industrial Court’s jurisdiction relating to matters connected with or pertaining to the application of any international convention, treaty or protocol of which Nigeria has ratified relating to labour, employment, workplace and industrial relations matters was given statutory flavor in the case of Aero Contractors Co. of Nigeria Limited v. National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) & Ors. Where the court held that the termination of the Applicant’s employment for her refusal to succumb to the sexual advances and overtures of the 3rd Respondent is a discrimination against the Applicant on the basis of her gender, and a rape on her right to dignity of her human person.
These copious provisions in our extant laws make it possible for any victim to approach the court or a judicial commission of inquiry to seek redress. However, despite these legal protections, only few people maximize the advantage of its protections. There are just a few voices like Monica Osagie of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and Rachel Njeri of Makerere University, Uganda. The Challenges to low reportage of sexual harassment includes: 
Challenges to the Legal Protection of Victims of Sexual Harassment
a. Societal Acceptance: despite the fact that sexual harassment is often instigated by men, however the society makes room for its acceptance and reinforcement;
b. Interference by family members, FBOs, community leaders etc;
c. Low Reportage;
d. Lack of awareness;
e. Poverty 
Recommendation
f. Although sexual violence is primarily instigated
g. by males, it is the whole community that allows for
h. the acceptance, maintenance, and reinforcement of such
i. behaviou
j. Although sexual violence is primarily instigated
k. by males, it is the whole community that allows for
l. the acceptance, maintenance, and reinforcement of such
m. behaviou
n. Although sexual violence is primarily instigated
o. by males, it is the whole community that allows for
p. the acceptance, maintenance, and reinforcement of such
q. behaviou
r. Although sexual violence is primarily instigated
s. by males, it is the whole community that allows for
t. the acceptance, maintenance, and reinforcement of such
u. behaviou
i. Public Enlightenment
ii. Education
iii. Naming and shaming of perpetrators
iv. Awareness creation and advocacy
v. Criminalization of interference in the investigation and prosecution of sexual harassment cases
vi. Domestication of the VAPP Act in all the states
vii. Judicial activism
viii. Diversity including equal access of women in leadership roles is the most productive action to curb sexual harassment.
ix. There is a need for more information in the media on issues of sexuality, sexual health and rights for more public enlightenment.
Charles Ndubuisi Iroh,
Triax Solicitors
NBA President’s Welcome Statement To The 59th Annual General Conference Delegates

NBA President’s Welcome Statement To The 59th Annual General Conference Delegates

1.           
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 59th Annual General Conference
(“AGC”) of the Nigerian Bar Association (“NBA”) holding from Friday, 23 August
2019 to Thursday, 29 August 2019. With the theme, “Facing the Future”,
this year’s Conference literally has something for everyone, lawyers and
non-lawyers alike. A key novelty is the several specialized Committee Sessions
– the outcome of collaborative work in content development for the Conference
by the three Sections of the NBA – SBL, SLP and SPIDEL – coordinated by the
Technical Committee for Conference Planning (TCCP). This Conference was
designed as a test-run of such collaboration, notably in content-development,
and it has been a huge success as is showcased by the diversity of the session
topics and the number of sessions – 41 in all, a record number. I invite you to
visit the Conference website (
www.nbaconference.com) for the complete array of bouquet on offer.

2.           
I must in particular draw your attention to the Rule of Law
Symposium Plenary – another innovation in this year’s Conference which I expect
would be sustained beyond this administration. As you all know, the essence of
our Association and indeed the legal profession is the defense, protection and
promotion of the Rule of Law. We believe that a dedicated Plenary on current Rule
of Law issues should therefore be a standard fare in our Annual Conferences.
The Rule of Law Symposium is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 27 August 2019 at
2pm and has such contemporary sub-topics like “Why the Rule of Law?”,
Independence of the Legal Profession”, “The
Judiciary, Independence Beyond the Letters of the Law
”, Human
Rights and Criminal Prosecution
” and “Promotion of Access to
Justice
for Persons Living with Disabilities”.
3.           
Incidentally, the Rule of Law Symposium is a yearly staple at the
Annual Conferences of the International Bar Association (“IBA”) and it is
rather fortuitous



that this year’s IBA Symposium, which is
scheduled for Friday, 27 September 2019 at Seoul, South Korea, has the topic
“Persecution of Lawyers and Judges – threats to the rule of law and the
independence of the legal profession”. This is almost a replica of some of the
sub-topics at the NBA’s Rule of Law Symposium and yet, the two organizations
worked independent of each other in developing the issues and topics for their
respective Rule of Law Symposium. This underscores the importance and
universality of the issues that would be discussed at the Symposium and we are
privileged to have Horacio Bernardes Neto, the President of the International
Bar Association as our very special guest for this Conference. He has
graciously agreed to deliver a Keynote Address at the Rule of Law Symposium
apart from delivering a Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of the
Conference on Monday, 26 August 2019.

4.           
For the socially-minded, this Conference will not be all work,
networking and talk-shop; there are a number of exciting social events in the
programme starting with the 10 kilometre Health Walk scheduled for Saturday, 24
August 2019 at 7am taking off from Harbour Point – one of the two Conference
venues. There would also be a Welcome Cocktail on Sunday, 25 August 2019 at 5pm
and we would all be entertained with and by a stage Musical – “Fela and the
Kalakuta Queens
” – on Monday, 26 August 2019 at 7pm. There is of course the
President’s Dinner – you would not want to miss that – on Tuesday, 27 August
2019 at 7pm and finally a Music Concert on Wednesday, 28 August 2019 at 6pm to
round off the Conference.

5.           
Some of us may miss the fact that next year’s 2020 Conference
would be NBA’s 60
th AGC. Attaining 60 is a notable landmark that is worth celebrating
and we shall celebrate it in an unforgettable fashion. What you will experience
in this year’s AGC will be but a foretaste of what we would roll out for the
NBA’s 60
th AGC next year and you
cannot afford to miss it. The date for the Conference (21-27 August 2020) was
approved by NEC at its meeting on 28 March 2019 and we are already bubbling
with ideas on how to make that Conference memorable for all of us. We would
share our plans with you as soon as they are approved by NEC. Meanwhile,
welcome to the NBA 2019 Annual General Conference and enjoy to the fullest the
rich menu of our Conference and that of the City of Lagos.

Paul Usoro, SAN

NBA President

#NBAAGC2019 Innovation: Special Arrangements for Senior Delegates.

#NBAAGC2019 Innovation: Special Arrangements for Senior Delegates.

Some of the novel ideas seen in this #NBAAGC2019 has never happened before and one of such is the arrangements made for Senior members of the Bar by the TCCP.
According to Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, Chairman of the TCCP, all senior members of the Bar should note the following – 
(a) we will ensure that your access card and conference materials for the NBA Conference 2019 are delivered to you, at a Lagos address of your choice ahead of the conference. We have also made arrangements for an distinct mark to be placed on your access card to ensure that you are granted seamless access to the conference and are easily identified as a senior member of the Bar;  
(b) a younger lawyer will be assigned to receive you at the NBA Conference 2019. Your escort will provide any assistance you require for the duration of the conference. The name of your escort is [X], her phone number is, [x] and her email address is [x] .  [x] will contact you shortly to introduce herself to you;
(c) during the NBA Conference 2019, you will be granted access to the holding room, which has been reserved for VIP Guests and distinguished speakers;
(d) we have also reserved a private room for your tea and lunch breaks to enable you take your refreshments within a conducive and quieter environment.
This is great, wouldnt you agree? 

@Legalnaija 
NBA PRESIDENT AND TCCP LEADERSHIP VISIT RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR FOR 2019 AGC.

NBA PRESIDENT AND TCCP LEADERSHIP VISIT RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR FOR 2019 AGC.

As part of the build up towards hosting a successful Annual General Conference, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN yesterday,  August 8,, 2019 led a top delegation of the NBA and TCCP members on a visitation to the Governor of Rivers State, Bar man par excellence, Nyesom Wike. The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, O.C.J Okocha, SAN and Mr. Frank Owhor, a former Attorney General of River State, were on ground to receive the NBA leadership.

In the NBA President’s team were Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, TCCP Chair; Olumide Akpata, TCCP Co-Chair; Irene Pepple, NBA National Assistant Financial Secretary; Sylvester Adaka, Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt branch/TCCP member; Omubo Frank-Briggs, former Chairman, NBA Port Harcourt branch; Cordelia Eke, former Secretary NBA Port Harcourt branch/TCCP member and Mrs. Briggs, Publicity Secretary of NBA Port Harcourt branch.

The NBA President used the ocassion to formally invite the Governor of Rivers State to the Annual Conference holding between August 23, 2019 to August 29, 2019. Governor Wike, in his response, promised to partner with the NBA in it’s pursuit of enthronement of rule law in the polity, and assured the NBA that the Rivers State Government would partner with the NBA in ensuring a successful Conference. 
Kunle Edun
Chairman, TCCP Media & Publicity Sub Committee.
#NBAAGC2019 Session: The Crisis of Sexual and Gender based Violence in our Communities

#NBAAGC2019 Session: The Crisis of Sexual and Gender based Violence in our Communities

Gender-Based Violence (GBV),
sometimes also referred to as Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is any
harmful act of sexual, physical, psychological, mental, and emotional abuse
that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that is based on socially
ascribed (i.e. gender) differences between males and females.

1 IN 3 women
worldwide will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Men and
boys are also targeted. 

From January to December
2017, a total number of 1,639 survivors and those at risk of SGBV were referred
to access specialised services including psychosocial counselling, medical
care, legal and safety and security services. Out of these, 156 survivors
accessed case management services and 226 benefited from legal assistance
through UNHCR’s Access to Justice project implemented in Northeast by the
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Furthermore, issues that
have escalated the incidents of sexual and gender based violence in Nigeria includes
the high rate of terrorism in some parts of the country. The prevalence of sexual
violence within the Boko Haram crisis has been widely reported in humanitarian
assessments, human rights reports and media coverage from the early days of the
insurgency. 

Boko Haram’s abuses against women and girls, including abduction,
forced conversion to Islam, physical and psychological abuse, forced labour,
forced participation in insurgency operations and forced marriage, rape, and
other sexual abuse have inspired fear among local communities in north-east
Nigeria and contributed to the group’s notoriety, both within the region and
globally. However, while Boko Haram’s violence against women and girls has been
at the center of public attention to the crisis, delivering protection and
support for women and girls has been an ongoing challenge in the humanitarian
response.

These and many more issues
would be discussed at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar
Association. Experts and legal practitioners will seek to chart a course to
reducing the incidences of SGBV in Nigeria. Join the discussion at the
#NBAAGC2019 breakout session.