On Monday in Abuja, Mr Yakubu Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, apologised to Nigerians for what he described as the attorneys’ inability to fulfil their obligations to provide direction for the country’s growth.
Speaking at a National Dialogue on the State of the Nation put on by the organisation, Maikyau claimed that the majority of the difficulties Nigerians were suffering were brought on by attorneys’ failure to guide and lead the populace.
“I dare say, with utmost respect, that to a large extent, our experience today as a country is a direct result of the legal profession’s abdication of the duty to provide direction and leadership to the people.
”I must therefore, as one who is privileged to lead the Bar at this time, apologise to Nigerians for the abdication of our role.
“Today, as members of the Bar, we are reputed more for how much fees we charge our clients as opposed to the discharge of our primary call to offer guidance and/or offer ourselves for the advancement of the cause of our country.
“This apology is necessary because, no other group of professionals is called to this privileged position as the lawyers, which also comes with corresponding responsibility to provide leadership,” Maikyau said.
