The eagerly awaited “Town Hall Meeting” of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) will hold today at the Marriot Hotel, GRA, Ikeja.

The hybrid summit has the theme, “Justiciability of Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution: Pragmatic Measures for Government’s Accountability.” Expected at the parley are judicial officers, political actors, legislators, lawyers and civil society leaders.

While all slots for in-person attendance have been fully taken up in compliance with COVID-19 protocols, intending participants can still be a part of the summit by registering at https://tinyurl.com/nbaspidelth2022.

Fiery human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana SAN is the Lead Presenter for First Plenary while Mr. Anthony Ojukwu SAN, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is the Lead Presenter for Second Plenary. The Chairman of the summit is Justice Helen Ogunwumiju of the Supreme Court.

Discussants for the First Plenary are Justice Onuoha Ogwe, Chief Judge of Abia State; Hon. Luke Onofiok, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary; Mr. Suleiman Usman SAN, Sokoto State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice; Mr. Emmanuel Okorodudu, Head of Democracy and Good Governance Unit at the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja and Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The discussants for Second Plenary include Mr. Olawale Fapohunda SAN, Ekiti State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice; Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director, Enough is Enough (EiE); Ms. Cecilia Aransiola of Amnesty International; Mr. Samson Itodo of YIAGA Africa and Mr. Soji Apampa, Chief Executive at Integrity Organization. Both sessions will be moderated by ace broadcaster, Mr. Kayode Akintemi.

While Justice Ogunwumiju will give the Chairman’s Opening Remarks, Welcome Remarks will be delivered by NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata; NBA-SPIDEL Chairman, Dr. Monday Ubani, and Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mr. Steve Abar. The Vote of Thanks will be delivered by NBA-SPIDEL Secretary, Dr. Princess Frank-Chukwuani.

Organised by NBA-SPIDEL, the sessions coordinator is Mr. Kunle Ajagbe. The sponsors include Babalakin & Co., Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative, Y. C. Maikyau & Co. and JB Daudu & Co.

According to a statement by Dr. Monday Ubani, NBA-SPIDEL Chairman, “The aim of the Town Hall Meeting is to arouse the consciousness of critical institutions of government, particularly the Judiciary and Legislature, with a view to ensuring the enforcement of the basic socio-economic rights provided in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other enabling laws for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

“The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) is desirous to see Nigerians enjoy the basic socio-economic rights provided in the Nigerian Constitution as well as other enabling laws,” adding that NBA-SPIDEL has a vision to make public interest and development law a fundamental aspect of national life and development.

According to the statement, SPIDEL which manifests NBA’s commitment to promoting the role and application of law to economic development and growth of public interest law in Nigeria, has been living up to its bidding.

In 2021, ahead of the sold-out NBA-SPIDEL yearly conference in Ibadan, Dr. Ubani had decried the delay in implementing provisions of the Constitution concerning autonomy of the judiciary.

“We want a judiciary that doesn’t go behind begging the executive to give them their resources in order to carry out the basic responsibilities that the constitution has imposed on them. We want a judiciary that can deliver justice without fear or favour, its long-term effect is what we are looking at, not probably because of the short-term losses we are suffering but I tell you this, if we succeed in doing this, we would have actually sorted out a very big problem for us as a nation. The issue of administration of justice is very key,” he had said.

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