Law personality ‘Why some lawyers engage in sharp practices’

Barrister Olatunji Hammed Abaya, an Ilorin-based Legal Practitioner was a graduate of University of Maiduguri. The young lawyer, who is five years-old at the Bar, spoke about his legal experience so far in this chat with PILOT JUDICIARY. Excerpt

What has been your experience so far? The legal experience has been so tough, nice and good. Within my five years of experience, I see myself as one of the young lawyers. In terms of hardship, I have had a lot of experiences but because of my dedication, zeal and desire for private practice, here I am today. The problem is that when you are a lawyer, your family members, friends and immediate community; their expectations would be so high just because of the fact that you are a lawyer. So many of them would be coming to you with their problems believing that you are rich and would be able to assist them. No matter how good you are as a lawyer without financial backing, people will call you “Charge and bail lawyer.” However, the law practice is very tough. In terms of money you might not get much, but when you have the passion, you learn a lot from it. I derive joy when I go to court and make submissions and the Judge is moved and agreed with my submission, though that doesn't happen all the time. So, I hope that I can still see the light at the end of the tunnel. I so much like what I'm doing despite the fact the money is not yet there. You said the society believes once you are a lawyer, it means you are rich. Could this be part of reasons some lawyers engage in sharp practices? I said our immediate environment put burden on our neck that once you are a lawyer, you are rich, but would not be a justification for any lawyer to engage in sharp practice. For those who engage in sharp practices, it may be as a result of their greediness or because they are kleptomaniac; the principle whereby if you have billions of naira, you can still steal N5. To cap it all, the community contributes to it but as a lawyer and a principled-man who has a long way to go, if you have N100, definitely you will be contented. So, some lawyers engage in sharp practices because of their greediness. How has the name of your Senior Brother and lawyer, S.I Abaya influenced or affected your career? Let me say his name has actually helped me a lot, though I still observed some negative effects. But, generally, it has really helped in court. At times, if I announce my appearance in court, some judges do ask me if I'm related to the senior Abaya and I will respond 'Yes.' Even when I was in Abuja, I have met some senior lawyers, who usually asked same question of our relationship. All in all, his name and what he has been doing as a private practitioner has really helped me in my career. Though, we are human, I have noticed some people who had grudges against him try to transfer that to me at times. But that has not severed my relationship with people. Why did you choose law as profession? I never dreamt of becoming a lawyer when I was very young. At the Senior Secondary School level, mathematics and other science related subjects are problems for me. But when I joined the 'Art Class', I developed much interest in government as a subject and usually, I performed excellently each time I wrote government. Also, my brother who is a lawyer and my sister who is a Magistrate influenced me too because they were undergraduates while I was in the secondary school. So, I developed interest from Secondary School and I started working towards it and by the grace of God, it came to reality. If you were not a lawyer by now, what would you have become? Well, I think I have an ambition to become a medical doctor but sciences subject were my major problems, but I realised there was no way I would become a Medical Doctor without knowledge of those subjects. Now, I have realised that if I had not become a lawyer; it would have amounted to the fact that I choose a wrong path. I used to tell God that if I would come back to this world 100 times, I beg Allah to make me a lawyer that 100 times. Who are your role models in the profession? I see Yusuf Ola-Olu Ali (SAN) as a role model. Also, I see R.O Balogun as one of my role models. Again, my brother S.I Abaya, I see him as a role model too. These people have some things in common, which I have benefitted a lot from. Is legal profession really lucrative? I will not say lawyers are rich rather I will say lawyers are blessed. They are blessed and people respect them for what they are. What is your take on corruption in the Nigeria judiciary? Corruption has found its way into every sector in Nigeria or let me say in the whole world. With respect to judiciary, I will say judiciary is somehow clean, though I am not unmindful of the corruption cases in the judiciary. Corruption in the judiciary encompasses series of things. Many times it would be on the part of the court, the lawyers, the police or even litigants. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years as a lawyer? In the next ten years, I want to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and I'm working towards that. Also, in the next few years, I want to believe I will have a law firm that will accommodate vibrant junior lawyers that are ready to learn and work. The problems we are having now is that some of the seniors are not helping matters. The stipends they are giving to younger ones are nothing to write home about. I don't know why they are doing that. Some people will be telling you that because you are learning rudiments of practice from them, you should pay them. In advanced countries, the younger lawyers would be the one paying the seniors because they believe you are being trained. To some extent, I agree with them but in the Nigerian factor, one has to consider so many things. What is your message to your colleagues and the younger ones? My message is that they should not see legal profession as an industry for them to make money. Money will come. They should just see it that they are just going there to contribute their own quota. For them to do this, they must be dedicated. They have to be honest. There should be perseverance. We should know that money is not everything. Lives of 160million Nigerians lay in the hands of the judiciary. It is only the judiciary that can say the rule of law must prevail and for it to prevail, we must champion it. So, I am begging younger ones like me to persevere, be tolerant and we should know that dedication is all what we need and definitely, money will come.