AGF to standardize remuneration of legal practitioners

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) on Monday, inaugurated Practitioner’s Remuneration Committee to look into the remuneration of lawyers in the country.

Malami said, the Legal Practitioners Act, established the committee to regulate and standardize the remuneration of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja said, finding a reasonable remuneration for legal services in Nigeria has been an issue of great controversy for legal practitioners and further explained that, “It has, and is still eliciting heated intellectual and non-intellectual debates by various countervailing interests.

“Despite the existence of a scale of charges for legal services in Nigeria, there have been repeated debates for, and against its existence.”

According to the AGF, some people have argued that a lawyer’s fees cannot, and should not be pigeonholed to a scale of charges due to the unique nature of the legal profession, while others, who canvass for its continued existence say, it has created order and certainty in the expected remuneration for legal services.

The AGF said, the scale of charges hitherto established are long overdue for review in view of the current national

Buhari celebrates former NFA Secretary-General, Sani Toro at 70

President Muhammadu Buhari has fefelicitated with the former SecretaryGeneral of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and ex-Member House of Representatives, Sani Ahmed Toro, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, lauding him for his services to the nation and important contributions to the growth of football.

The President, a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said rerecognized all the years of hard work of the first Executive Secretary/CEO Nigeria Professional Football League Governing Board, who during his tenure as scribe of NFA, the Super Eagles won gold medal at Tunisia 1994, Nigeria for the first time qualified and participated at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States where they reached the second round.

President Buhari noted that it is worth remembering that under Toro’s administration the Men’s Olympic Football team won gold in Atlanta 1996, making the country’s ‘Dream Team’, captained by the great Nwankwo Kanu, with other legends like the skillful Jay-Jay Okocha, Celestine Babayaro, Sunday Oliseh, Daniel ‘the bull’ Amokachi, Emmanuel Amunike, Tijani Babangida, among others, the first African nation to win that title, the statement noted.

It said the President bebelieved that Toro and other administrators who worked behind the scenes to give Nigerians those wonderful memories deserved to be thanked and prayed for, in the hope that they live more years to experience more moments of joy and celebration in the country.

and economic realities, adding that, a situation where legal practitioners are paid pittance for the legal services they render must be thoroughly looked into and necessary steps taken to, not only safeguard the livelihood of lawyers, but ensure that legal practitioners are treated with the dignity and prestige they deserve.

The Committee therefore has the responsibility to critically review the scale of charges, taking into consideration prevailing challenges and experiences by legal practitioners as well as the nation’s current economic realities.

On the committee’s functions, Malami admonished members to be fair and to discharge its statutory responsibilities without fear or favour and stressed that, particular consideration should be given to the new wigs and young lawyers, as a way to encourage their dedication and commitment to justice delivery.

He said, his ministry is poised to continue to fulfil its mandate of improving the administration of justice in Nigeria, by providing necessary support to the NBA and ensuring that the association is well positioned to address the legal needs of legal practitioners and Nigerians as a whole.

In his speech, the President of the NBA, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) said, the Legal Practitioners Remuneration Committee, which is a statutory committee, in line with the Legal Practitioners Act, allows it to look at lawyers’ remuneration.

He said, the last time lawyers’ remuneration was looked at was in 1991 and commended the AGF for his collaboration with the NBA in ensuring efficient administration of justice delivery in the country.

In his speech, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Lagos state, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) said, the scale of charges is to help the client, who needs the service of lawyers and also assists the lawyers themselves.

“If you want to consult a lawyer, you will know from the scale of charges what your legal fee will be. It provides for more transparency when it comes to lawyers’ charges. It is for the better for all us”, he said.

10th Speaker: Betara has all qualities to give Nigerians what they deserve - Elected Members

By Christiana Ekpa

House of Representatives member, Hon . Inuwa Garba (PDP-Gombe), has disclosed that most returning/ members-elect are supporting Rep. Aliyu Betara as the speaker of the 10th National assembly because he has all the qualities and requirements to give Nigerians and lawmakers what they deserve.

This was just as the former Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari disclosed that nobody has the constitutional right to chose leaders for the elected Members of the 10th Assembly, adding that he and his colleagues have exclusive power to decide those who lead them

Garba who disclosed this at the induction venue for members-elect in Abuja on Monday, said “most of us in the 9th Assembly and even the elected Members believe that Aliyu Betara has the leadership quality to give to Nigerians what we want in the 10th House of Representatives.

He said chosen the speaker that would preside over plenary should be based on track record, experience and commitment.

He said the focus of the “Greater Majority,” a coalition of minority parties of all members-elect was to have a purposeful leadership, adding that Betara stand tall based on his antecedent.

He said such purposeful leadership was needed for the 10th Assembly, adding that this would bring all members together for a good working relationship.

“Nigeria is already in a serious problem and to come out of this problem start and end with having good leadership.

“Once many of us from the opposition party see reason to team up with somebody from the ruling party, you should know that such a person will be committed. “

He further said that such person would have the will to carry all members along irrespective of party affiliation, stressing that this would also come with a good understanding of the tenets legislature.

He however added that the ultimate beneficiary of such relationship would be the executive arm of government.

He said, “Majority of us in the Greater Majority group have endorsed Betara for the position and I can assure you that if today, we go in for the contest, Betara will be the Speaker.

“ His Speakership will be the gain of Nigerians. For somebody to choose a Speaker for us is a miss normal, undemocratic and unconstitutional.

“ We will vote for the person that will do justice to Nigerians and I can assure you that the next Speaker of the House of Reps is Betara.

Also speaking, Rep Cyril Hart (PDP- Rivers) , said the constitution was cleared on the procedure that should be adopted as members to elect presiding officers.

According to him, I share the sentiment that the majority party should produce the leadership of the House even though I am of the PDP.

He however said that the agitation on who becomes the speaker would soon be rested, adding that in the end, Nigeria would get the best out of it, “so, there is no course for alarm because it is all politics.”

“The contest is free and anyone is free to contest, but my simple opinion is that the majority party, the APC with the highest number of members elect should produce the leadership.

He said the contest was an APC affair and they should be allowed to produce the leadership of the 10th Assembly.

“So, whatever they are doing is their business, I am only praying that the best emerges, what you are seeing is politics.

“The dust will settle and at the end of the day, Nigerians will get the best. So, no course for alarm,” he said.

Yari said, That is not correct. How can I go against my party. If you listen to the lecture, you discover that the lawyer said that nobody has the constitutional right to choice leaders for us. It is a kind of an exclusive power for me and my colleagues to decide our leaders.

“Was I wrong when I say I

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Barely two weeks to the end the present administration, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government has built a firm foundation for a prosperous Nigeria.

Noting that the road has been bumpy due to a challenging fiscal climate, Buhari declared that he is proud to state that “as we leave office in about two weeks that we have built a firm foundation for a prosperous Nigeria”.

The President, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, said this at the opening ceremony of the induction program for newly elected Governors at the Banquet hall, State House, Abuja.

The outgoing regime, Buhari joyfully said, has made steady progress since assuming office in 2015. a prosperous Nigeria”, he said.

He enjoined the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum to promote ideals that will address the challenges of democracy and governance in our country today.

According to him, “We have made steady progress since we took office in 2015.

“The road has been bumpy due to a challenging fiscal climate, but I am proud to state as we leave office in about two weeks that we have built a firm foundation for a prosperous Nigeria.

“We could not have done everything, but we focused on a number of areas: Infrastructure, Agriculture and strengthening our Armed Forces.

“1 am very confident that from the foundation we have laid, the incoming federal government will build on our legacies in ensuring that we continue to build the country of our dreams.

“Congratulations to all of you and good luck in the days and years