SAN member rates body, practice in CRS high; says profession impacts society

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Effiom Otu Effiom Ekong (SAN) says the requirements by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for a lawyer to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN is standard, quite high and very rigorous.

He made the statement in Calabar, Cross River State yesterday on a side line interview with our correspondent during the Nigerian Bar Association Calabar Branch Bar week 2021 on the theme, “Nigeria: in a Progressive or Retrogressive stride.”

Hear him “Though there is politics in every part of life and nothing good comes easy. What we know is that an applicant must be focused, hard working and demonstrate a high degree of perseverance before he becomes a SAN”.

“I am satisfied with the standard qualification set up by the NBA which is quite high and very rigorous. I do not have any grudge about the standard. It is okay.”

Ekong who stated that a lot of responsibility is associated with SANship believes a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a leader, saddled with the onerous task of offering good leadership which demands among others, making sacrifices for the upcoming lawyers.

The senior lawyer also said that lawyers were social engineers who gather in occasion like their week to make contributions for the improvement of the society.

According to Effiom Otu Ekong SAN, the theme of their week was quite topical and relevant to the needs of the society and that at the end of the event participants will take home ventilated ideas which would be put into use to better the society.

Effiom Otu Effiom Ekong SAN noted that the level of legal practice in Cross River State is quite high comparatively even though the volume of commercial activities in the state was too low to boost the profession.

On the infiltration in the profession, Effiom Otu Effiom Ekong  disclosed that NBA at the National level is in control and has mechanism in place to contain the challenge.