Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to collaborate with other government arms to uphold the rule of law in the country.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo said this when President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, visited him on Monday in Yenagoa.
He emphasised the need for concerted efforts to prevent avoidable civil unrest, citing the increasing disregard for the rule of law.
The deputy governor urged privileged politicians not to take the resilience and silence of Nigerians for granted, especially in regard to the rule of law.
Ewhrudjakpo, who observed that there was so much aberration in the land, called for concerted efforts and prayers to save the country from avoidable civil unrest.
According to him, the NBA has a statutory role and what it takes to defend constitutionalism and the rule of law to the letter, warning that if nothing was done, it may lead to anarchy and complete breakdown of law and order.
He used the opportunity to congratulate the NBA President, as well as the chairmen of the Yenagoa and Sagbama branches of the NBA in the state on their elections and wished them success.
His words: “The NBA needs to do a little more by stepping up its game because we are now in a society where the level of lack of or disrespect for the rule of law is getting to an unacceptable level.
“I get very worried each time I see people behave as if we are in a society where laws are thrown overboard, and we do whatsoever we like.
“The NBA needs to do more, to ensure that the rule of law, especially as provided in Section 1 of the Constitution, in terms of the supremacy of the law and the authority of the law.
“The aberration and the level of brazenness is getting to a point where if we are not careful we may end up in civil unrest. It is my fervent prayer that we turn a new leaf to save this country,” he said.
Earlier, Osigwe, SAN, said he was in the state to thank the NBA, the Judiciary and the state government for their efforts in securing the release of Justice Ebiyerin Umukoro, who was abducted on June 21.
It would be recalled that Justice Umukoro was abducted on June 21 and released on July 3.
The NBA chief commended the Bayelsa government, the Bayelsa Chief Judge, Commissioner of Police, and other stakeholders for their show of concern, love and practical measures taken to free the abducted high court judge.
Osigwe was accompanied on the visit by the Chairman of the Yenagoa branch of the NBA, Mr Clement Kekemeke, and his Sagbama counterpart, Mr Ogheneohuko Sampson.
