Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Anselm Odinkalu has said that the Nigeria Bar Association is not meant for corrupt persons, and warned against any dream to elect Paul Usoro, SAN, the president of the NBA in 2018.
Odinkalu issued a terse statement on a platform where lawyers and civil society organisation members volunteer contributions to issues concerning them.
Said Odinkalu: “Whoever dreamt up this Paul Usoro project to lead the Bar is terribly misguided. The person wishes perdition on the Bar. It is worse than a bad dream and it has to be stopped.
“Paul Usoro is charged with having bribed James Agbadu-Fishim( I refuse to call him “Honourable Justice”), a judge of the National Industrial Court, with N800,000 paid in three instalments of N300k; N400k, and N100k. Paul Usoro himself admits to having given the judge at leats N450k, claiming it was contribution towards his vacation.
“In a sane country, Paul Usoro should be facing disciplinary proceedings at best and should have been disbarred. In Nigeria, someone is parading him to lead the Bar. that bar belongs to us all. No one has a right to even think about this.
“This idea that a lawyer who admits to having bribed a judge is even considering himself for the office of President of the Bar while the judge that he bribed is being prosecuted and the payments he made to the judge are exhibits in the case is worse than a terrible joke. it is an insult to us all. we all have a duty to stop it.
“This Paul Usoro project for Presidency of the Bar has to end, forthwith. By all means, let all lawyers of decent standing aspire for the Bar Presidency. I want to go on record. Paul Usoro has no standing in morality and , i would venture, in law to even consider aspiring to the Presidency of the Bar now or ever. He should bury his head in ignominy. the only rioght he has is to go before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to clear his name or be disbarred. Period.
“Let be be clear: My name is Chidi Anselm Odinkalu. I am a Nigerian lawyer who also belongs to this Bar that will be ruined by this aspiration birthed in impunity. It will not work. No lawyer with the charges against his name that Paul Usoro has should be allowed to insult us in the way this Paul Usoro project seeks to do. it is aggravating.”
Odinkalu further warned that despite the staggering impunity in the country today, the motto of the NBA which commits the members to promote the rule of law makes it imperative that lawyers cannot do without integrity.
However, Usoro told TheNigerialawyer when contacted that he will respond in due time and that he has never had any matter before the said judge.