Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticized the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) for opposing President Bola Tinubu’s proposed declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Wike alleged that the NBA’s stance was influenced by financial considerations, suggesting that the Rivers State Government’s offer to host the association’s annual general conference played a role in its opposition.
The minister made these remarks on Friday in Abuja during a visit by officials of the Body of Benchers, led by its Chairman, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
Wike did not mince words in questioning the NBA’s motives, accusing the association of hypocrisy and bias in its assessment of the judiciary and executive interventions.
“The NBA did not support the declaration of a state of emergency because there would be no money to give them for their conference. What kind of hypocrisy is this?” he queried.
He called on the Body of Benchers to intervene, urging them to hold the NBA accountable for what he described as its unnecessary criticism of judicial decisions and the legal profession at large. According to him, some NBA members publicly condemn court rulings without properly studying the judgments, a practice he believes undermines the judiciary’s integrity.
“If you don’t discipline somebody, nobody will learn any lesson,” Wike said. “We shall no longer allow our profession to be pulled down. It is unheard of that members of a profession would be the ones leading efforts to discredit it.”
The minister further accused the NBA of selectively labeling financial support to the judiciary as bribery while accepting contributions for its own activities without similar scrutiny.
“When NBA was building its National Secretariat, they wrote to the executive for support, and nobody saw that as a bribe. I was the only one who contributed, and they accepted it. But when contributions go to the judiciary, it suddenly becomes a bribe,” Wike argued.
He also pointed out that state governments frequently sponsor NBA activities, yet when similar support is extended to the judiciary, it is perceived as an attempt to influence legal outcomes.
Expressing concern over the climate of distrust surrounding the judiciary, Wike lamented that judges and justices now avoid public gatherings and social interactions out of fear of being accused of corruption.
“Our judges are so scared of attending mosques or churches, even shaking hands with people they know, because lawyers will accuse them of collecting bribes,” he stated. “This must stop.”