President Muhammadu Buhari observes Eid-El-Kabir Prayers at the Kofar Arewa Eid Ground in Daura Katsina State on 21st Aug 2018 (photo credit: State House)
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerian lawyers to work for national cohesion and unity.
Speaking on Sunday while addressing the 2018 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, the president said he hoped the conference would consolidate the position of the NBA as a prime stakeholder in the national affairs.
Buhari said: “This administration’s emergence marked the first successful civilian transition in Nigeria’s democratic history, following the outcome of the 2015 General Elections.
“Given the enormity of the challenges we inherited and the yearnings of a citizenry earnestly desirous of a new way of running national affairs, our first challenge was to transform our country speedily into a society where impunity in the management of national resources would be replaced with a culture of accountability and transparency. We needed to deploy our resources to address our common needs rather than the greed of a callous few.
“In order to achieve this, we have had to disrupt age-old assumptions and unsettle ancient norms in the management of our national patrimony, as you have all witnessed in the last three years.
“While we have made appreciable progress in several sectors, including public awareness of the need to challenge the corrupt and the brazen in our midst, we have also learnt useful lessons on the dynamism of our society. However, elements within every society, including some lawyers, can equally become unduly resistant to change, even where it is proven that such change is to serve the interest of the larger society. At worst, corruption fights back.
“As we gradually move into another season of intense political activities preparatory to the 2019 General Elections, I enjoin you to remember that by reason of your profession, you all have a responsibility to work for national cohesion and unity through your speeches and public positions and most importantly in your advocacy in court.”