In this fleeting time, I recall the fraility of everything that makes meaning. May Almighty God continue to comfort the family and friends of Ogaga Emogwhanre, with whom I contested the office of NBA Publicity Secretary in 2022
Distinguished Members,
This is the last message that you will receive from me as the Publicity Secretary of our Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), because in few hours from now, a new Publicity Secretary will be sworn in, alongside other members of the new National Executive Committee. I therefore wish to thank you most sincerely for availing me the opportunity to serve you. While I acknowledge that the task was very daunting, your advice, criticism and encouragement kept me going, and it is a privilege of a lifetime to have served you in this role.
I have been asked what the most difficult part of my role is, and after introspection, I would say that the most tasking side to my role in pushing a progressive image of the NBA and the legal profession is not convincing the public that lawyers are good, it is battling with colleagues, particularly on social media, that lawyers are not evil.
Even as we acknowledge the challenges within the legal profession, a lawyer should know that if you throw a stone at the NBA or the judiciary in the public, particularly without factual basis, you are indiscriminately stoning yourself. From my modest experience in this role, I have come to know that even the most educated non-lawyers-members of the public do not particularly know the differences between you as a lawyer, the NBA and the judges. For all they care, we are all the same. And they are not really wrong. Aren’t we all cut from the same cloth?
Serving alongside the Assistant Publicity Secretary, Charles Ajiboye has been a brilliant, bonding and buoyant experience. Charles is the most creative Publicity Secretary the NBA may never have! Together, we overhauled the information dissemination system of the NBA. We set up a new mailing system that expands the NBA’s reach while also allowing members to unsubscribe from receiving NBA mails, thereby protecting members’ rights to data privacy.
We also took advantage of the social media to find new ways of getting across to you. To this end, we introduced the NBA Official Blog (https://blog.nigerianbar.org.ng.) and NBA Whatsapp Channel. Also, we increased followership on our existing social media accounts. Our Instagram handle (@nigerianbar) has grown by over three times with new and unique followers, and it is now verified. Our Twitter handle (@nigerianbarassoc) now has more than 41, 000 unique followers. Our Youtube Channel (Nigerian Bar Association HQ) is well and truly managed, and we have also recently uploaded reels and important segments of the recently concluded NBA 2024 Annual General Conference.
We strengthened public engagement by organising the State of the Nation Dialogue and Press Conferences. Following the lead of the NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN, we amplified the challenges of the Nigerian Judiciary. And it is gratifying to know that this campaign yielded result with the recent enactment of the Judicial Officer Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act which increased remuneration of judicial officers by 300%. The NBA did this!
Also, we made efforts to institutionalise the NBA Media and Publicity Department by being hands on with the media and publicity duties at NBA events. Prior to now, the NBA would pay huge sum to persons, some of whom are not even members of the NBA, to ‘consult’ and in some cases, anchor NBA events. Aside this financial exposure, most times, these hired media consultants do not appreciate the nuances of Bar functions, and we have had inexcusable moments of protocol breaches at some of our events. Also, members were hardly aware of these events, and as such, participation were mostly abysmal. We changed this. Charles and I anchored and coordinated most NBA national media events including our flagship event – the Annual General Conference (AGC). We also coordinated the Publicity Secretaries of Branches, Sections Institutes and Fora of the NBA.
Of all these efforts, I am most gladdened by the volunteering scheme that we initiated during the just concluded AGC, which saw young, talented and enthusiastic lawyers fully involved and engaged in the media and publicity of the conference. With this initiative, we have stimulated these dedicated members’ interests in their association, and have given them a platform upon which they can build and contribute their own quota to the continuous growth of the NBA. I sincerely thank all of them for their their time, thoughts and talent.
The last two years have not been without its challenges, but with the leadership offered by the NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN, Charles and I have been able to thrive. Thank you Mr. President. Our IT Consultant, Solomon Magaji was also immense in bringing life to many of our ideas. Also, Wole Efuwape and Stella Akupue are two NBA staff members who worked closely and tirelessly with us. I also wish to thank the news correspondents and law bloggers for their professional support.
Finally, I congratulate the incoming National Officers, particularly the Publicity Secretary-Elect and Assistant Publicity Secretary-Elect. I wish them a very successful and impactful term.
I thank my family for giving me the space, and I thank God for His Grace. Alhamdulillah!
The fuller account of my term as NBA Publicity Secretary can be found here: https://blog.nigerianbar.org.ng/2024/08/29/nba-publicity-secretary-highlights-two-years-of-significant-achievements-and-enhanced-communication-efforts/
Thank you and goodbye!
Akorede Habeeb Lawal
