Former Chairman of NBA Ikeja Branch and current second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr. Monday Onyekachukwu Ubani has condemned the attack on Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN at the 14th Chief Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture held in Ikeja Lagos on Monday 15th January, 2018 noting that it is condemnable and unacceptable.
Ubani who called the action of the protesters unfortunate also called for caution in the midst of agitations such as the one that led to the unnecessary attack on the Senior Advocate.
His words:
THAT CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME SAN was booed yesterday at an event organized by NBA Ikeja to celebrate late Chief Gani of blessed memory was very unfortunate.
It is condemnable and clearly unacceptable. We should not degenerate to that level despite the situation on ground. Every one accused of crime today in Nigeria is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved in the court of law and therefore such a defendant is entitled to be defended by a lawyer of his or her choice. That is the current jurisprudence in Nigeria.
It is the duty of the Prosecutor to assemble and marshal his facts and evidence to convince the court of the guilt of the Defendant and the proof must be beyond reasonable doubt while the Defendant is entitled to be heard and defended by a lawyer of his or her choice.
That a lawyer should be booed, jeered at because it is alleged that he defends “corrupt persons” is unacceptable, bad, uncultured and reprehensible. It is not the route for us to go because it will mean criminalizing a professional duty which we all condemn when doctors are not allowed to treat armed robbers.
Please, please ladies and gentlemen we must not degenerate as a people, it is a plea. That Ubani chooses tomorrow not to handle matrimonial or criminal cases, it will be by choice. Chief OZEKHOME SAN may have his excesses but he is still a human being and not God. LAWYERS SHOULD NOT BE MADE ENDANGERED SPECIE IN THE LINE OF DUTY BIKO!
[espro-slider id=17952]
