By Chinedu Agu
As announced by the Honourable the Attorney-General of Imo State and Commissioner for Justice two days ago at the Dinner he hosted for lawyers in Imo State, the Imo State Government has released N350 million to the six NBA branches in the State – N100 million to NBA Owerri Branch and N50 million each to the other five branches. Reportedly, this staggering largesse is to support lawyers attending the Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Support for lawyers and professional development is not a bad thing. But in a State where the justice system itself is struggling with serious infrastructural and institutional challenges, this sudden generosity raises questions that cannot be ignored.
The issue here is not whether N350 million can make lawyers comfortable for a few days at a conference. The question is whether that same N350 million could have done something more enduring for the justice system that same lawyers return to every day.
Does this money improve the administration of justice in Imo State, or does it simply create a temporary feel-good moment while court buildings decay, judicial officers struggle and litigants continue to face a failing system in the State?
And perhaps the most uncomfortable question is, is this a genuine investment in the legal profession, or a carefully timed political intervention aimed at securing influence over the Bar at a sensitive moment in the history of the Imo Judiciary?
At a time when court infrastructure is crying for attention, is spending N350 million on conference logistics the best priority for government?
Another question is, why now? Why after six years? This government has been in office for approximately six years.
For six years, lawyers have attended AGC through personal sacrifices, sponsorships, branch arrangements and their own resources. So why has this unprecedented N350 million support suddenly appeared now?
Why at a time when there are serious conversations around the leadership of the judiciary in Imo State?
Why at a time when NBA Branch Chairmen are reportedly being approached to endorse a letter concerning the Chief Judge appointment process?
The timing is too significant to ignore!
Is this really AGC support, or is there a hidden political purpose behind it? Events that will unfold in the coming weeks will answer this particular question.
Public assistance becomes suspicious when it appears alongside political interests.
Who prepared the letter allegedly addressed to the NJC, which required the signatures of the 6 Branch Chairmen?
Who determined its contents?
Why was NBA Mbaise Branch reportedly denied its N50 million allocation? If the money was truly for lawyers to attend AGC, why should a branch lose its allocation because its Chairman refused to sign the controversial letter?
Reports indicate that the NBA Mbaise Chairman objected to the letter because he believed it did not represent the position of his branch.
If that is correct, does the denial of the funds to his branch not suggest that the money was tied to compliance?
Why ignore the collapsing infrastructure of the judiciary while funding a conference?
What happens to the High Court building? What happens to the leaking roofs? What happens to damaged ceilings and sections of the building requiring urgent attention?
What happens to the poor access road leading to the Imo State High Court premises, where lawyers, litigants and court users are forced to navigate dangerous conditions?
Could this N350 million not have transformed the physical environment where justice is delivered every single day?
Why are lawyers working in courtrooms that do not reflect the dignity of the profession?
Why do some court halls remain uncomfortable environments for judges, lawyers and court staff?
Would fixing these conditions not be a better investment?
Why do the Magistrates’ Court premises continue to suffer neglect?
Why do the Magistrates’ Court premises give the impression of abandoned properties rather than institutions where justice is expected to be administered?
Why should Magistrates, the very officers responsible for administering justice to ordinary citizens, operate from chambers that look more like pool offices than places where justice is expected to be delivered with dignity?
Will less than 30% of that money not provide alternative power supply [solar] for the whole of the Magistrates’ Court premises? Would providing this not improve the daily administration of justice?
Why not invest in judicial officers who are the engine room of justice delivery?
Why are many Magistrates, Chairmen of Customary Courts and Court Inspectors still without official vehicles?
Imagine disbursing this N350 million to Coscharis Motors with a mandate to provide functional vehicles for members of the lower Bench, Magistrates, Chairmen of Customary Courts and Court Inspectors. Would that not have provided at least 20 brand new cars?
Would that investment not have strengthened justice delivery in a way that extends far beyond a few days of conference attendance?
The Honourable Attorney General, who facilitated this intervention and who is reportedly responsible for its disbursement, should be uncomfortable with this reality that a significantly smaller investment could have transformed the working conditions of his law officers in the Ministry of Justice.
Many of these law officers, who are responsible for representing the State in court and assisting in the administration of justice, operate without the basic tools required for effective legal work. Some lack proper offices. Some work without tables, chairs, computers and materials for production of court processes, libraries, and other essential materials needed to function effectively in a modern justice system.
The uncomfortable question is this: Why has it been easier for government to approve and release N350 million for AGC support in less than 3 weeks through the Attorney-General, while repeated appeals for improved working conditions for law officers made through the same Attorney-General have remained unanswered for almost a year in office?
The same government that could find the resources and urgency for conference logistics should also be able to find the urgency to provide the basic infrastructure and tools required by those who administer justice every day.
Many law officers in Imo State can testify to this reality. Some have personally provided their own tables and chairs to create a semblance of a functional workspace. I have once walked into an office where the rusty ceiling fan had only two blades remaining, a small but powerful symbol of the condition under which some law officers are expected to deliver justice.
This is not about denying lawyers the opportunity to attend conferences. It is about asking whether government has its priorities right.
A conference lasts a few days. A functional justice system serves generations.
So the question remains: Which investment creates a more lasting impact – spending hundreds of millions on temporary conference support, or investing in the judicial officers, facilities and tools that determine whether justice is delivered effectively in Imo State?
Over 700 lawyers registered for the conference under NBA Owerri Branch. A simple calculation shows that if the N100 million allocated to the branch were shared among them, each lawyer would receive approximately N142,000.
The question then becomes, what lasting problem does this solve? Will N142,000 per lawyer repair the terrible roads leading to the Imo State High Court? Will it improve the working environment where lawyers spend their professional lives? Will it address the infrastructure failures that make the daily practice of law unnecessarily difficult for that lawyer?
Or would that same N100 million have created a more enduring impact if invested in the justice system that these lawyers return to after the conference ends?
What message does this send about the independence of the Bar?
The strength of the legal profession lies in its independence, of course.
When a government begins to financially embrace a professional body on this scale, especially at a moment when the independence of institutions is under public discussion, the question is not merely about the money. The question is about influence.
A Bar that depends heavily on government generosity may gradually lose the courage to challenge government excesses. The watchdog cannot afford to become a beneficiary that is afraid to bark, or bite when necessary.
The NBA must guard its independence jealously. Its greatest asset is not government support, but the moral authority to stand apart from government and speak truth to power, even when that truth is uncomfortable and irritating.
A conference lasts for a few days. A justice system serves generations.
A lawyer may benefit from transport and accommodation support today, but citizens will continue to suffer tomorrow if the courts remain poorly equipped.
Chinedu Agu
Solicitor | Notary Public | Past Secretary NBA Owerri | Former Political Detainee of Imo State Government
[email protected]
The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.
