”In the legal profession, you climb to the top by paying your dues” – Senior legal practitioner takes on NBA for giving awards and special recognition to actors, politicians and activist who recently joined the bar
Senior legal practitioner Timothy Olatokunbo Tugbiyele has expressed disapproval over the recognition given to some newly called junior lawyers during the recently concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Enugu State.
In a circulating video, Tugbiyele criticized the manner in which these junior lawyers, celebrated more for their achievements in other fields outside the legal profession, were accorded special treatment, questioning the fairness of such recognition within the bar.
‘’My lords, justices, judges, life benchers and benchers, SANS, senior colleagues and colleagues. I did not attend the Nigerian Bar Associations conference but I have been following up. I saw some posts. Very junior lawyers, a few of them not even up to a year post call are being given special recognition at fora during the conference.
The legal profession where I have participated in over 45 years is not like that. I am Timothy Olatokunbo Tugbiyele. In the legal profession, you climb to the top by paying your dues. If you have succeeded outside the legal profession, that doesn not make you occupy positions seniors occupy in the legal profession,.
We have to correct things. I am very sad at the way very junio lawyers who have succeeded outside the profession are being given honorary status. Some of them made it in politics, in showbiz, as actors…I would have felt bad if I were in the hall and I am sweating at the back and you find someone who is an actor and is three-four years at the bar seating in front where Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Benchers and life benchers are seating.
The legal profession is not like this.
What has happened in Enugu should never happen again. You come into the profession, you pay your dues.”
Another lawyer, Yomi Ogunlola, also corroborated the Senior legal practitioner’s claim. He wrote
‘’NBA Conference!
When I saw Deji Adeyanju, sitting on the front row, and, the role assigned to him at the NBA Conference 2025, I felt something amiss too! The other day, it was Dino, barely 60 days of call, getting an award for “his contributions to the legal profession”.
This is sad; very sad! This Agbero philosophy and mentality is eating into everything we ever held dear!
Something is definitely wrong with the profession, really!”
