The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammadu has called on the African Bar Association, AFBA, to embrace togetherness while working towards the development of the continent.
He charged African lawyers to ensure that they compete favourably amongst the best of lawyers around the world.
He canvassed that the lawyers be made the best in content and good character in the discharge of their professional duties.
The CJN who spoke while receiving the leadership of AFBA led by its President, Mr Hannibal Uwaifo on a courtesy visit in Abuja sought good conduct from the bar men on the grounds that African bench cannot be clean if its origin is filthy.
“The African legal system or judiciary is like a broken mirror reflecting different directions, especially the directions of various colonial homes of respective countries.
“Yet, Africans are the only people who in the past resolved disputes and issues through traditional institutions.
“The Association should work hard for the unification of African judiciary and mutual legal development,” the CJN told the AFBA.
The CJN thanked the delegation and assured of his maximum support to the AFBA activities.
Earlier, Uwaifo while briefing the CJN on the visit explained that the African Bar Association (AFBA), 2021 Annual Conference which was scheduled to hold on the 28th of February – 5th of March 2021 in Niamey has been postponed to August 2021 because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
He said that the theme for the conference is “Setting an Agenda for transformative change in Africa’’.
The AFBA President then formally invited His Lordship to the Annual conference coming up in August this year in Niamey, Niger Republic.
