Buhari Seeks Partnership With NBA To Restore Public Confidence In Judiciary

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to work with the government to avert the collapse of public confidence in the justice system of the country.

Speaking while receiving the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA at the State House on Thursday in Abuja, the President warned that a collapse of public confidence in the justice system will have disastrous consequences for the entire country.

“Let me reiterate that the collapse of public confidence in the justice system will have disastrous effects on our democracy and will negatively affect the capacity of the legal profession to thrive and flourish in the country,” he said.

President Buhari also gave assurances that his administration will continue to operate on a foundation of the Rule of Law.

According to him, “We are convinced that corruption and impunity flourish when due process mechanisms are disregarded.  We, however, expect a corresponding duty on the part of all professional bodies such as the NBA to ensure the highest forms of discipline among their members”.

The President urged the members of the legal profession, whom he described as opinion builders in their various communities, to work for the public enlightenment of the citizenry, and to support the initiatives of government in sanitizing the public services, improving standards of public accountability and the insistence on the normal standards of judicial integrity.

In his remarks, the President of the NBA, Abubakar Mahmud commended President Buhari for his confidence in the members of the association, considering the number of lawyers in high places in the administration.