CI-NEWS

North West Lawyers’ Association to enter new phase.

2019-07-30

No: 438

North West Lawyers’ Association to enter new phase.

By Etoh Anzah George in Bamenda

The over 3-year-old North West Lawyers’ Association founded with a desire to create a unifying and strong structure that binds the North West lawyers and further coordinate their activities recently took to the rostrum to elect some members from amongst them who will assist the Batonnier’s representative in the day-to-day running of the socio cultural and sporting activities of the association.

According to the Batonnier’s representative, Chief Barrister Mbah Eric, "this election owes its conception to the enormous and labouring workload which before now I have focused on, thus paying little attention to the social and sporting aspects of the association. So to this effect lawyers came together and thought it wise to select amongst the legal corps some credible people who incase of my indisposability (sic) will be able to run the social activities".

“Essentially we have had some duty posts to which some members have been voted into, that is, a president, a vice, a socials, a secretary, a financial secretary and owing to the fact that in case of a loss of a colleague I can’t coordinate donations or better still I could be out of town and a meeting is convened for whatever reason, it is therefore their role to ensure that all these is done in full pomp. It’s important to note this does not surround just the legal mind but also his first degree relations and as per the regulations in force all I need to do is call the Procureur General and let him know I have given my blessings to the convening of a meeting to make sure we remain within legality.”

As to why the elections is coming only now, Barrister Mbah says they have been in office as Batonnier’s representative for barely 7 months and we have realised the work load is much and a lot of things need to be attended to.

“Their mandate goes with mine and it’s that of 2 years. Consequently, I am comfortable because all who have been chosen are lawyers and in my words I urge them to put the interest of the profession and the people at heart in a bid to further strengthen the association in particular and the Bar Council in general.

To Barrister Acha Collins (newly elected president), the impressions are that of an achiever “owing to the fact that when you present yourself as someone postulating to serve and you are credited with such an opportunity before your colleagues it’s really pleasing.”

“ Before now lawyers in the North West region have been victimized as a result of the ongoing crisis to the extent most of them feel reluctant in exercising their duties and being the advocates which they are it’s therefore my vision to rekindle hope”, he added.

“I understand that whenever a lawyer is mentioned, many ask multiple sadistic questions owing to the threat they have hitherto posed. As such it’s therefore our obligation to see that the lawyers return so that we can continue exercising our duties in service to the people through regrouping ourselves. We condemn violence, we condemn the kidnappings and all derogatory acts meted on lawyers and others and thus we urge all actors to desist from such so that normalcy can return as has been the case. We encourage the right to education because we understand that as lawyers or whatever official education is the mortar that handles all situations. Thus it’s our prayer that the powers that be resolve the plight to reduce the bloodshed so everything takes its rightful course.”

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North West Lawyers’ Association to enter new phase.