NBA engages Lagos government on taxation, land use charge

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch has said it would engage Lagos state government on the controversial land use charge, taxation, land documentations and other topical issues in its law week programme scheduled to commence May 5, 2018.

In a pre-event briefing by the conference planning committee presided over by the chairman of the branch, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, alternate chairman, Kennedy Ahia and chairman of the law week planning committee, Mr. Tola Oshobi (SAN), the premier branch said the weeklong event would be very exciting, educative and entertaining as a result of the rich programmes and faculties that would share ideas with members.

According to Oshobi, the law week, with the theme: “Human Capital and the Legal Services in the 21st Century”, commences on May 5, with a health walk that would start from 6 am at the Lagos high court and terminate at the Falomo roundabout. “It is not arguable that a healthy man inhabits a healthy body. Our lawyers need to be as healthy to be able to do their work,” he said.

His words: “The event would also feature a prison visit to Ikoyi and Kirikiri. During this visit, we will take all kinds of gifts to the inmates. We need to see what is going on and what issues some of them may have and if they need any representations, we will do so. We will also have a health check at the foyer of the Lagos high court for our members.

“In addition, we are making arrangement with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to have ongoing national identity card registration at the foyer of the Lagos high court in order to make it easy for our members to register and have their identity cards.

“We will also have a welcome cocktail on May 9th to kick-start the technical session, which will continue to May 10th. Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN) would deliver the keynote address.”

The first session on May 10th, he said would border on clients’ expectation in 21st century, adding that the second session would be on technology and innovations.

He said the panelists are highly experienced and rich in knowledge. The issues would also accommodate young lawyers and their choices of specialization.

Dialogue with judges on labour issues, in addition to the business of law would also be discussed, Oshobi hinted.

“We will also have our elders’ night because we don’t want to forget them. On Friday, after the technical sessions are over, we will have the closing party. Traditionally we have a law dinner, but we will have a closing party, because dinners are usually held in formal environment.

“But the party would give our members the opportunity to lay down their guards and unwind. It is an innovation and a very welcomed development,” he declared, adding that participants would have additional benefit of gaining continuous legal education points from the national body of the NBA.