The new administration of the Nigerian Bar Association, Calabar Branch (the Doyen Bar), led by the Chairman, Mr. Attah Ochinke, on Wednesday, the 14th day of July 2021, paid a courtesy call on the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (the “Corps”), Cross River State Command, Mr. Samuel Adekunle Fadeyi. Present at the event were Mr. Stanley Eboh (the Deputy State Commandant), Mr. Bryan Egu. (Head of the Legal Unit), S. J. Eremi (the Public Relations Officer of the State Command) and Mr. Bright Ogidefa (Head of the Human Rights Department of the Command).
The Public Relations Officer briefly read the profile of the State Commandant, which revealed, amongst other things, that the State Commandant is a legal practitioner making him a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, having been called to Bar in 1991, and also a Notary Public.
After the introductions of the members of the administration of the Doyen Bar by the Secretary, Ms. Eno Edet, the Chairman of the Doyen Bar appreciated the ease with which the request for the day’s visit was granted. He went on to inform those present of the happy coincidence he had noted from the reading of the State Commandant’s profile that he attended the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School alongside the State Commandant and they were both called in the same year.
The Chairman also congratulated the Commandant as his profile shows that he has been quite busy and had successfully juggled the demands of his status as a legal practitioner alongside his duties as an officer in the Corps. The Chairman pointed out that one of his administration’s objectives is to encourage the active participation of legal practitioners in the activities of the Doyen Bar and thus hoped that the State Commandant would participate in these activities as this would create an avenue through with the Doyen Bar could tap from his wealth of experience gathered over the years.
The Chairman stated that the purpose of the day’s visit was to introduce the members of the new administration to the State Commandant. He highlighted the fact that the Corps is very vital in the justice administration sector, particularly the criminal justice administration system, and there was thus the need for the Doyen Bar to offer a hand in fellowship so as to create a synergy between the Bar and the Corps.
The Chairman again thanked the State Commandant for granting the administration audience and ended by informing him of the intention to have future working visits were he would be engaged with specific issues to see how criminal justice administration, as it touches the Corps, can be eased for the officers of the corps, the legal practitioners and the society at large.
In his response, the State Commandant, Mr. Samuel Adekunle Fadeyi, stated that he still keeps in touch with activities of the Bar and, in fact, still pays his practicing fees though through the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association. He however assured the administration of the Doyen Bar that he would participate in the activities of the Branch and even proceed to pay subsequent practising fees through the Calabar Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association.
He went on to state that fraternity at the Bar will guarantee a synergy and, as such, he operates an open door policy particularly as it comes to his learned colleagues. It was in this regard that he had paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Chief Justice of Cross River State, the Administrative Judge of the Federal High Court as well as the Attorney General and Honourable Commissioner for Justice of Cross River State upon his assumption of duties as the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Cross River State Command.
The State Commandant prayed for a successful tenure of the new administration of the Doyen Bar and further assured them of his participation in the activities of the Doyen Bar. He ended by stating that being a hybrid himself he would strive to bridge the between the Bar and the uniform. In closing, the Secretary, Ms. Eno Edet, extended the administration’s invitation to the Branch’s monthly meeting to the State Commandant. The Social Secretary, Mr. Bassey Williams, also invited the State Commandant to the weekly Fit ‘n Proper programme which holds every Saturday morning at the Judiciary Headquarters.
