Kingdom on legal services.
“In the workshop I attended with Mr George Etomi on 5 October 2023, convened by the UK-Nigeria Working Group on Trade Policy, with officials of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in attendance, at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), King Charles Street, London, I made the point in unmistakable terms, that the NBA does not support any bilateral agreement with the UK on legal services.
“I emphasised that we are not yet at a place for such an agreement and that even if are to enjoy reciprocity with the UK (which is not an acceptable position), the knowledge and skills gap is so wide that we cannot favourably compete with the lawyers from the UK.
“I made it clear that while there can be an agreement or discussion on other trade matters, legal services were not on the table. We know for certain that the British Government will not undermine its own body of legal professionals in such spectacular fashion as this administration has done to the NBA in the matter of this agreement.
It added: “It is truly tragic that while the government of the UK is seeking opportunities for its own lawyers beyond its constrained environment, the government of Nigeria is attempting to deprive Nigerian lawyers and their millions of dependants of means of livelihood.
“To embark on such a venture without recourse to the NBA is the height of insensitivity to the plight of the legal profession in Nigeria, and this is totally unacceptable.
“We want to make it very clear that the ETIP agreement, in so far as it relates to legal services is unacceptable in its entirety. The NBA will take all necessary measures provided by our laws in support of our position on this matter.
“As a starting point, I have today convened a meeting of senior lawyers with a view to devising an appropriate litigation strategy. We intend to fully challenge the legality of this agreement all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
“This is without prejudice to other intervention measures that may be necessary to express our rejection of this agreement. I want to use this opportunity to call on all members of the NBA to brace up for the struggle ahead. The NBA under my leadership will not allow any incursion into our legal space.”
Leave a reply