Mr Ifeanyi Moses, a legal practioner, has called on his colleagues to set aside personal interests and focus on securing the rights of the people to enhance the country’s judicial system.
Moses made the call while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
According to the lawyer, it is time for legal practitioners to identify their role as democracy progresses and strengthen their professional responsibilities to the citizenry.
‘’Rather than focus on personal briefs, buying and accumulating wealth, building vast partnerships and handling election petitions, can there please be a shift to the needs of the downtrodden?.
“Lawyers, especially the senior ones, must realise the responsibility that awaits them; challenge policies that may cripple the masses and summon up courage to fight for reforms in favour of the masses.
‘’Fate has put the people in our care; we must remember that and secure their rights.
‘’We must understand that our profession is not just for our benefits, but also for the benefit of a larger society,’’ he said.
Moses noted that while corruption was seen as a major setback to ensuring good governance, protection of human rights had become the least issue on the front burner.
He explained that a lawyer, being the custodian of justice, was saddled with the responsibility of using his services to ensure that the peoples’ rights were not violated.
‘’We are the conscience of the people and a bridge between the government and its people.
‘’It is the influence of lawyers in developed countries like the USA that gives them the authority and a powerful barrier against the lapses of democracy.
“This is worthy of emulation if we must help sustain this beloved democracy.”
The lawyer explained that since society had created many rules and regulations for the co-existence of mankind, it was the role of lawyers to interpret the rules to the society.
He further said that it was the responsibility of lawyers to ensure the rule of law was sacrosanct and ensure enforcement of legal rules, regulations and procedures in governance.
Moses noted that the ‘change’ campaign of the present administration could only be achieved if all hands were put on deck, including the government and the governed, to ensure its success.
He, however,called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure that lawyers were well guided and encouraged to be good ombudsmen of the society.
(NAN)