By: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Cross River, Barr. Ededem Ani has admonished young lawyers in the country to explore robust potentials that would make them outstanding in the legal profession.
He gave the charge when the leadership of Young Lawyers’ Forum of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Cross River paid him a courtesy call in his office in Calabar.
Ani emphasized that hard work, diligence, integrity and accountability are virtues that would navigate their ways to higher positions of responsibility in both Bar and the Bench.
The Attorney-General urged them to remain good Ambassadors of the Justice Ministry and as well draw inspiration from worthy sages in the profession, set achievable goals and work towards them in their aspirations to navigate greater heights and subsequently, justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the near future.
Ani who described the visit as long over due, applauded the strides of the forum within the short period of its formation and encouraged them to sustain the tempo as it’s leadership progresses in the form of a relay race for the younger generation to take over.
He advised the forum to trigger competitions for law practice among students of the University of Calabar and Arthur Jarvis University to bring out their best in the state.
Commenting on the workload on judicial officers, Ani stressed the need for young Lawyers to be attached to judges as Secretaries who should assist in writing because of the stress involved.
“This, he said, would create new vistas for young Lawyers to also learn the rudiments of the bench as the grow in the profession”.
He expressed worry over the absence of juvenile correctional and rehabilitation centre in the state.
Speaking further on the administration of criminal justice he dropped the hint that arrangements are ongoing through recommendations from the Chief Judge of the state to the governor who would give ascent for inmates with minor offences and have served beyond the number of years prescribed by law to be granted pardon on the basis of prerogative of mercy.
He vowed that “those with serious offences as murder, kidnaping, rape and armed robbery are going no where. They must serve their terms, he assured”.
Extolling his virtues, the Special Assistant to the chief Judge,(CJ) of Cross River, on General duties/Media, Barr Daniel Ekpo described the Attorney-General as a revered Lawyer of profound erudition and an advocate of impeccable pedigree.
Ekpo, the Secretary of Young Lawyers Forum in the state, further described him as a veteran with a signature profile of reference in the legal profession.
Congratulating the Attorney – General, the SA posited that the Governor’s choice of the apex lawyer is, a crystal justification and outright demonstration of the fact that the youths are beginning to penetrate public space of authority.
The group however, thanked the Governor, Prince Bassey Otu for appointing their Beacon of hope, Barr Ededem Ani as a member of the state Executive Council.
Earlier ,Chairman of the forum Barr. George Akiki, thanked the the Justice Commissioner for granting them audience which he described as a rare opportunity for Cross fertilisation of ideas with the forum’s leadership in his exalted office.
Akiki enumerated a plethora of issues confronting the forum ranging from giving certain considerations for deserving young Lawyers who distinguish themselves in service delivery.
The leadership of the group called for a synergy of the office of the Commissioner for Justice with the forum to strengthen existing platforms of under graduates law practice by law students in the state who should learn and have acquaintance with the rudiments of law practice in their Mute courts.
The group also appealed to the Commissioner to also attract law seminars to Cross River for the benefit of practitioners in the state and other economic reasons.
