Reactions have started trailing the news of the emergence of a new association for lawyers.
In one of the earliest reactions, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Richard Oma Ahonaruogho has issued a disclaimer to the statement of the purported Pro Tem National Executives of the Law Society of Nigeria (NLS).
The learned silk who says he is the convener and founding secretary of the Law Society Of Nigeria (LSN) stated that the purported executives of the LSN as announced are not known to the body.
He asked all Nigerian Lawyers and the Body of Benchers to disregard the “hasty announcement”.
While acknowledging that recent events in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have led to an increasing agitation for the full commencement of activities of the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN), he described as hasty the letter sent to the body of benchers by some representative of the persons now claiming to be Executives of the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) as consultations are still ongoing on the issue.
He admitted that he held a meeting with one of the promoters of the Law Society of Nigeria on 6th October 2022, in Lagos, where the appeal for the commencement of full activities of the LSN was tabled, considered, and deferred for further consultations with some of the other key promoters and the sole surviving Trustees.
The SAN also disclosed that the logo and Motto – Justice For All on the purported letter claiming to be that of the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) are alien to the Law Society of Nigeria (NLS) and amount to the tort of passing-off.
When Channels Television’s Judiciary Correspondent, Shola Soyele, sought the reaction of the President of the LSN, Kunle Ogunba (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) to the disclaimer, he said he was aware of it and would issue his response at a later date.
The Publicity Secretary, Douglas Ogbankwa, also promised to address the concerns shortly.