Properly train, fund legal departments, jurist tasks agencies

Justice Olabode Adegbehingbe of the Court of Appeal has charged Government-owned agencies to adequately fund their legal departments and also ensure periodic training of lawyers to achieve proper service delivery.

He explained that there is a need for legal advice to be respected by decision-makers or management of the several departments of government and regulatory agencies.

While delivering a lecture at the investiture of the Director, Legal Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Kofo Salam-Alada, as the grand patron of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikare-Akoko Branch in Akure, Ondo State capital, Adegbehingbe commended lawyers in public service for defending the laws and the constitution of the country.

In his lecture titled, “A Critical Appraisal of the Roles of Lawyers in Government or Regulatory Agencies,” the jurist explained that the effect of management ignoring or refusing to heed legal advice is an avoidable waste of government or departmental resources on avoidable litigations.

He said: “Mediocrity should not be encouraged, as the work of government and regulatory agencies has become increasingly sophisticated and specialised such that only the best hands should be recruited and retained in service.

“Retardation is unhelpful, and ignorance may sometimes cause loss of lives and property.

“A lawyer in government service or a regulatory agency should be deliberately exposed to all departments, levers, and aspects of the operations of his organisation, such that he will have a full understanding or awareness of all that the organisation is about.

“Apart from the fact that this will properly educate the lawyer about the practice and procedures of the agency or department, he will be placed in a position to carry a mental picture of the probability of the truth of information passed onto him by other members of staff or operatives in other departments.

“A lawyer without proper, true, and useful information is obviously a handicapped adviser.”

According to him, lawyers who toil and grind daily to better our society, while ensuring that the rule of law is not subjugated and eradicated, need commendation.

On his part, the Chairman of NBA Ikare-Akoko Branch, Omotan Ogunmodede, said the branch decided to recognise and honour two illustrious sons of Akoko – Mr Kofo Salam-Alada and Adeboro Adamson, as the grand patron and patron of the Ikare-Akoko branch of NBA due to their impacts on the branch over the years.

“So part of what we are hoping to achieve today is firstly, to celebrate them, let them know that we appreciate them, and we also know them.

“We also want them to serve as inspirations to other members of the branch so that their good works will not go unrecognised. We want them to serve as inspiration to young members of the branch, to know that anywhere they start from, they can also get to the top of their profession,” Ogunmodede said.

Present at the event were former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the federation, Prince Tokunbo Kayode (SAN), who was chairman of the occasion; Prof. Oke Samuel; Justice Kuteyi; Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN); Ahmed Raji (SAN); and Justice Bode Adegbehingbe, among others.