The Nigerian Bar Association NBA has strongly condemned the purported appointment of Abdulrasheed Maina, a former pension reform task force chairman convicted of stealing over two billion naira in pension funds, as Grand Patron of the Garki Branch of the association, describing the move as disgraceful, unethical, and damaging to the integrity of the legal profession.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association said it views with utmost disdain the reported action allegedly taken by the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch, Mr. Anthony Bamidele Ojo. The NBA stated that such an appointment, if allowed to stand, would make a mockery of the legal profession and undermine the collective fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The association stressed that conferring any honorary position on an individual who has been convicted of serious financial crimes sends a dangerous signal to the public and erodes confidence in the justice system. According to the NBA, the purported appointment contradicts the core values of the Bar, particularly its commitment to the promotion of the rule of law, integrity, and accountability.
“The purported appointment not only paints the legal profession and the Nigerian Bar Association in a bad light, but also trivializes the ongoing national effort to combat corruption,” the statement read. “It equally undermines the moral authority of the Bar as a key stakeholder in the justice sector.”
The NBA also faulted the reported comments made by the Garki Branch Chairman regarding Abdulrasheed Maina’s appeal, which is believed to be pending before the Supreme Court. While acknowledging Maina’s constitutional right to exhaust all available appellate remedies, the association emphasized that the Bar must maintain strict neutrality in matters that are sub judice.
The association stated that it would not, under any circumstances, comment on or be perceived as attempting to influence ongoing judicial proceedings. Any action that appears to sway public opinion in favour of a convicted person with a pending appeal, the NBA warned, amounts to professional misconduct and a direct affront to the rule of law.
“These actions portray the Chairman of NBA Garki Branch, and anyone who endorsed such conduct, as condoning corruption,” the statement said. “The Bar fails in its duty to society and the cause of justice when it condones, encourages, or refuses to take decisive steps to eliminate corruption and corrupt practices.”
The NBA reaffirmed that it would never lend its institutional platform, name, or credibility to sanitize the image of any individual convicted of criminal offences or to interfere, directly or indirectly, with judicial processes. It stressed that any attempt to do so constitutes a grave violation of professional ethics and undermines public confidence in the legal profession.
Consequently, the association directed the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch to immediately withdraw the purported appointment of Abdulrasheed Maina as a patron of the branch. He was also ordered to cease and desist from issuing any statements, comments, or representations on behalf of, or in support of, Maina or any other litigant in respect of matters currently pending before the courts.
The NBA described the conduct as a serious breach of professional responsibility and institutional discipline. It announced that disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against the Garki Branch Chairman for actions deemed inconsistent with the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the ethical standards that guide the legal profession.
According to the NBA President, integrity, accountability, respect for the judicial process, and the preservation of public trust are foundational values of the association. Any conduct that compromises these principles, he said, would attract firm and decisive institutional action.
“The Nigerian Bar Association strongly disclaims the purported appointment of Abdulrasheed Maina as Grand Patron of the NBA Garki Branch,” the statement concluded. “We condemn in the strongest terms the actions of the branch chairman and reiterate that the Bar must use its influence and moral authority to combat corruption, not to legitimize it.”
The NBA reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and maintaining the highest ethical standards within the legal profession, warning that it would not hesitate to act against any member whose conduct brings the association or the justice system into disrepute.
