By Bennett Oghifo
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday administered the oath of office to Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, who takes over from Mr Olumide Akpata as the 31st President of the NBA.
Maikyau, who won the NBA presidential election last July, was sworn-in during the association’s 62nd Annual General Conference held in Lagos.
Maikyau, while pledging to make “service to the cause of justice” as the pillar of his administration, appealed to the federal government to do all that was necessary to protect lives and property in the country.
He said, “The Nigerian state is passing through a perilous time. There is the insecurity challenge and the situation appears so overwhelming. Many Nigerians live below the poverty line.
“There has been no time that Nigerians have looked towards the Bar more than now. Nigerians have been so terrorised, pauperised and traumatised, what is left of this country is the voice of the legal profession.
“This voice of the legal profession must speak against the terror in the land and this is the charge that my administration will spearhead.”
The NBA, he said, also has a role to play because the society looks up to them, stating that “The prosperity of lawyers cannot be undermined in the society, the Bar must earn the confidence and trust of the people.”
He lauded the Akpata-led administration for achieving so much within a two-year period, stating that he would sustain their legacy and build on their great works.
Maikyau thanked God for his emergence as the president of the NBA, his colleagues at YC Maikyau & Co., his campaign team, friends and associates for their support.
While handing over, Akpata assured that the “NBA will continue to protect the cause of the society and make Nigeria a better place through its section – the Nigerian Bar Association Special Public Interest and Development Law, under the leadership of Dr. Monday Ubani.”
Akpata said, “The NBA needs to show this country how things should be done and rise above selfish interest. We must show our leaders how things should be run in the country. In the NBA, we exist for our members but we must also speak for the lesser members of the society.”
He said it was also important to assist the Judiciary since the Judges could not, by virtue of the position they occupy, advocate for themselves.
The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, represented by Justice S. Saidu urged Maikyau to help in restoring the “good image of the Judiciary and the country,” stating that she looked “forward to a healthy working relationship between the court and the Bar.”
Originally published at Thisday