Lawyer Blames Poor Democratic Culture On Leadership

A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Chijoke Agi has blamed poor leadership for the inability of lawyers to deepen democratic culture in Nigeria.

Agi, who was at a forum in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at the weekend, noted that the poor leadership, which had resulted in social problems across the nation has been responsible for abysmal democratic values.

He noted as professionals working in an environment that is replete with security risks, it was not easy to reach the height of one’s potential.

The legal practitioner pointed out that legal practice thrived better where the rule of law operated.

Agi remarked that for democracy to do well, there must be stability in the polity, independence of the judiciary and the prevalence of the rule of law.

He said lawyers would not be agents of change in our democracy in an environment where insecurity is the order of the day.

Agi stated that insecurity had worsen things in Nigeria. He said kidnapping in the South and bom-blasts in the North had made lawyers less vocal on issues concerning the nation.

Barr. Agi stated that unless the society put certain basic things in place, legal practice would continue to be lackluster because nobody would want to fish in troubled water.

He noted that some of our laws ought to be reviewed because they had become archaic in Britain, where they were imported to Nigeria.

The lawyer lamented that the Nigerian legal system was still making use of 19th Century (laws) statutes of general application.

According to him, “Our laws must reflect our state of development. It is important that some of these laws be reviewed.”

“In deed anachronistic laws hardly check current developments that is why there must be regular reviews of our laws,” he stated.

The lawyer urged all and sundry to support law reforms.