Nigeria Needs More Lawyers – Abe

Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Magnus Abe, says the country still needs more lawyers to address the shortfall in crime and arbitration matters.

Senator Abe made the assertion on Monday in Port Harcourt while giving stipends to assist law student graduates from the Senatorial District who are drafted for the Law School this year.

The lawmaker opined that it was untrue that the country has adequate lawyers considering the huge numbers produced yearly by the various universities.

“Nigeria doesn’t have enough lawyers. We need a lot more lawyers; what we don’t have is a society that understands the role people should play. If we have society where people are conscious of what lawyers do; where people use lawyers for what lawyers should be used for and where people pay lawyers when they use them, you will find out that we don’t have enough and that society will come in the future and by then you will be positioned to take advantage of it,” he remarked.

Besides that, the Senator argued, more lawyers are needed to provide support to the poor policing and crime investigation in the country, stressing that the current investigative strength of the police cannot guarantee fairness, equity and justice in the polity.

He therefore called for the establishment of a prosecution service in the police, “ if you go to other societies investigations ends with arrest. Here in Nigeria investigations begins with arrest and at the end of the day you don’t really make a case’’.

Abe submitted that lawyers can equally exploit the huge shortfall in arbitration, agreement and soliciting aspects of legal activities.

Commenting on why he embarked on the scheme, Abe said he was propelled by the experience he had before going to law school saying, “ the money I’m going to give you may not be enough, but for some of you it could make a critical difference between your capacity to be able to pursue your dream of becoming a lawyer, or rolling out another one year without the ability to make that journey.”

Adding, he emphasised that the scheme is not a scholarship but an intervention to enable them commence their one year programme smoothly.

Speaking earlier, Coordinator of the programme, Mr. Kadilo Kabari said beneficiaries were duely screened as their papers were verified to confirm they were accredited for law school.

He thanked Senator Abe for floating the scheme, which he said is the fifth so far to empower students in the senatorial district, “ consciously you have been a source of succour to the challenged and deceased families, where you take up scholarship programmes for such children,’’ he noted.

One of the beneficiaries Mr. Emmanuel Deyah commended Abe for the gesture and described him as a father, representative and supporter.

Deyah unbehalf of other beneficiaries promised to make good use of the stipend.

About 40 law graduates who benefited from the scheme got N50, 000 each to support them at the law school.