A legal practitioner, Mr. Carl Umegboro has expressed his concern over the high Conference fee earmarked for the newest lawyers for the forthcoming 2024-Annual Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association slated to hold in Lagos from 23rd to the 28th of August, 2024.
To register for the conference, the NBA has fixed the sum of N50,000 as ‘early bird’ offer for 9 years post-call down to the new wigs that were called to Bar on March 5th, 6th and 7th 2024 and N75,000 after the ‘early bird’ offer. Lawyers of 10 years and above pay higher fees as well as those conferred with the rank of senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) that pay the highest fees.
There has been intense grumblings in diverse quarters over the high fees for the 2024 NBA-AGC particularly allotting the same amount to 9 years post-call and newly called to Bar lawyers of merely 3 months.
Reacting to the development, Umegboro, a civil rights lawyer and public affairs analyst said the new wigs being the newest members of the lawyers’ association deserve an incentive offer to enable them attend the first annual conference after their call-to-bar alongside registration in NBA arguing that one of the significant segments in the annual event is to formally welcome the newest members into the fold, unfortunately, by this exorbitant registration fee, may not be in attendance.
Barrister Umegboro emphasized that demanding same fee for 9-years post-call lawyers in practice with good income and the new wigs that are just 3-months post-call, and with most of them still hunting for jobs or law firms for pupillage attachment, while some are doing their NYSC mandatory service is to be modest, insensitive, inconsiderate, and anti-fraternity.
Umegboro said that depriving the new wigs the opportunity to attend the first annual conference after their call-to-bar and registration in NBA as members with such a high Conference fee is unfair and should be revisited in the spirit of fairness to enable them participate in the association activities as way of giving them a sense of belonging. He suggested that the new wigs should be given an incentive offer of between N10,000 and N20,000 adding that an annual conference of the association is vital, and also an avenue to further mold the new wigs into becoming lawyers of value, substance and good ethics. When asked about those that may have possibly paid already, the activist said the association can do a refund of the excess if reviewed to remedy the oversight.
He added that such an oversight is dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to characterize the noble body which the entire society looks up to as a pacesetter.
“As we speak, candidates for various positions are taking their campaigns seeking votes for the new wigs but not bothering about their attendance in the conference arguing that if their presence doesn’t matter to them, their votes shouldn’t also matter. One expected that the NBA should mount pressure on new members to attend the first annual conference after their call to Bar.
“An oversight as weighty as this can send a wrong signal to the new lawyers. I emphatically submit that there’s no justification to demand the same amount for registration for new entrants to the NBA with lawyers of 9 years standing. For emphasis, the new wigs left the law school in November 2023 and were called to Bar in March 2024 with most of them yet to get a place of attachment. Still, they are paired to pay the same registration fee with lawyers of 9 years post-call.
“Most of the new wigs are either hunting for law firm for pupillage attachment or undergoing their NYSC programme but grouped to pay the same amount with lawyers of 9 years post-call that have clients and on retainership? This is a non sequitur, and shouldn’t characterise the noble body the society looks up to for directions.
“If the feelings and emotions of these new wigs don’t matter, why then count on their votes for the elections of the officers of the association. I am sure that if the elections were on-site, their attendance in the annual conference would have been seriously considered and even made free. NBA cannot afford to technically encourage new lawyers to be inactive and missing in actions except to pay practicing fees.
“By this approach of commercialising the conference, the new wigs are encouraged from day one to not take the association seriously. Ideally, new wigs’ attendance should be of concern every year, otherwise, it may amount to laying a wrong foundation for them.
“Conference registration fee for new wigs ought not to be more than N10,000 or at most, double of it since lawyers of 9 years post-call standing pay. minimum of N50,000. It will be just and fair to revisit. the fees and grant the new wigs a special registration incentive offer to enable them to attend the conference. In an ideal world, the annual general conference of a year of call should be for celebrating the new members. So, it should be their event. Let them begin their lawyering life in good and high spirit rather than with grudges and a feeling of isolation”, Umegboro advised.