To this end, members have been urged to embrace the new association’s stamp primed to rid the bar of fake lawyers disguising as professional members.

Speaking at the 2015 biennial continuing legal education retreat held in Iloko, Osun State, the Chairman of Ilorin NBA, Mobolaji Ojibara, said with the introduction of the approved stamp, the hitherto efforts at ascertaining the authenticity of legal documents and proliferation of the bar profession would be a thing of the past.

He said members of the bar and the public must unite against forces of quacks who would stop at nothing to smear the hard won reputable image of the association.

Ojibara explained that the retreat was necessitated by the need to continue to sensitize members of the bar with a view to sharpening their skills in confronting emerging challenges in the profession.

“The fact that the legal profession has, through the ages, been accepted as a beacon of the society with corresponding obligations in the development of any nation has become enriched. The truth of this assertion cannot be overemphasized. The Nigerian Bar Association, which is the umbrella body for persons practicing the profession in Nigeria, is charged with overseeing not only the welfare, but also the continuing legal education of its members. Thus acting as watchdog of our profession, ensuring that international best practices are maintained in all facets of the practice at all times.

“The purpose of continuing legal education is to maintain or sharpen the skill of members of the bar and to ensure that lawyers, throughout their career, keep abreast with law and jurisprudence, maintain or continue to maintain the ethics of the profession and enhance the standards of the practice of law at all times.

“To achieve or continue to achieve these imperative and laudable objectives, we must therefore, ensure the continuing and practical education and re-orientation of our members. That, distinguished colleagues and gentlemen, is the reason we are in Iloko this week.

“The agenda for this retreat is based on a 4-day programme. It is expected mostly to be instructive, interactive and relaxing. The essence is to leave this place with a clear focus on an area of practice which otherwise have been taken for granted by majority of our colleagues.  I will urge us all to listen with rapt attention to the various presentations that will be made by experts who have been meticulously drawn from the field.

“Permit me to use this medium to remind our distinguished colleagues and the public that the much talked about stamp for lawyers have been launched by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association Augustine Alegeh SAN in Abuja on the 15th of April 2015.

“The Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007 makes it mandatory for every legal document signed or filed by a lawyer to bear a stamp and seal approved by the Nigerian Bar Association. This provision necessitated the National Executive Committee (NEC), the highest decision making body of the association’s approval of the issuance of personalized adhesive Stamps to verify lawyers who have paid their Bar servicing fees. The stamps are specially designed to bear the name and enrolment number of each lawyer and all documents which bear this stamp will prima facie be deemed to have emanated from the lawyer whose details are contained therein.

“With the introduction of the approved NBA Stamp, it is believed that situations where authenticity of legal documents has remained a mirage and the proliferation of our noble profession by quacks would remain things of the past. Our Colleagues and indeed the general public are therefore urged to unite in addressing this scourge and ensure that we are all watchdogs in ensuring the success of the policy as our collective welfare would continue to be threatened if we do not protect our business from quacks”, Ojibara said.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of 2015 Ilorin NBA retreat, Dr (Mrs) Biola Adimula, thanked the state government and founder of LEAH Charity Foundation, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, for their support to the retreat.