Wetin lawyers do sef?

On my way to Ibadan in the middle of a conversation with a co-passenger, when I introduced myself as a lawyer, I was met with: “Do you know all lawyers are liars?,” “lawyers can change white to black,” “if you give lawyer property to manage, na so so English you go dey hear”, “what does […]

On my way to Ibadan in the middle of a conversation with a co-passenger, when I introduced myself as a lawyer, I was met with: “Do you know all lawyers are liars?,” “lawyers can change white to black,” “if you give lawyer property to manage, na so so English you go dey hear”, “what does it take to be a SAN?,” “am I free to go to court and watch proceedings even if I don’t have a case?,” ”Why do you call yourselves learned colleagues, are you saying we are not learned?,” “I no need lawyer because I no want get case,” and the likes.
On my way back from the city of Ibadan, when we were all getting to know each other, someone introduced himself as a ‘medical doctor’. Next thing was: “Sir am finding it difficult to sleep, what seems to be the problem,” “I know a HIV patient who breast feeds her infant, is it right,” “I don’t get malaria often and am AA, what do you think is the cause?”  “Sir there’s this pain below my abdomen, what do you think it is?” This is to the extent that one man had to voice out his concerns about how he doesn’t feel too comfortable when doctors examine his wife, which was the only statement I felt didn’t touch on the doctor’s line of work.
But the reverse is the case for lawyers; instead of being asked how a young wig can be useful to them, Nigerians’ main concern is the fallacy they hear about lawyers.The funniest of all the questions was when I was asked, “Is it true that lawyers are buried upside down?” How on God’s earth should I know?
Young wigs on the streets are working hard and smart to be gentlemen of noble character, patiently waiting for the brief to come not knowing that the majority of the populace they expect to get the brief from don’t really consider them important to their day to day lives. Some religious ones don’t even believe a lawyer would make it to heaven.
It is true that there exist a class of Nigerians i.e the elite, influential, wealthy and some educated ones who know the value of a lawyer to the society, unfortunately this class of people don’t make the majority of Nigerians, at most they make 10%; lets also say 20% know they need a lawyer but can’t afford one depending on what the brief is, but the remaining 70% of Nigerians are okay with calling a young wig ‘D Law’, ‘Barrister’ nothing more and expect him to always be with cash, “no be lawyer you be?”
Then I asked a lady in the bus, “Do you want contract from NNPC?” and her reply was in the affirmative but when I told her she needed a lawyer to read through the contract to understand the contents of the contract before she signs but it would cost her an agreed percentage of the contract sum, her mood immediately changed.
Most Nigerians lose documents now and then, yet they prefer to meet court touts who are not lawyers to fill and swear an affidavit form for them than give a lawyer to represent the facts in an affidavit ‘properly so called’.
I don’t know why the Nigerian society has this phobia that lawyers are one frightful set of human beings, when in truth the working and framework of the country are laid on the foundation of law which lawyers seek to preserve by promoting the rule of law.
My experience on this journey has shown me that majority of Nigerians don’t really appreciate their rights as enshrined in the laws of the federation, as a result, they cannot tell when such right is being breached or not. Another set of Nigerians are okay with the sharp way of doing things that has continued to cripple our country than follow the legal due step of getting things done.You would hear “to follow law, na long process”.
The law is important to every society because it keeps people regulated; without law there would be chaos and anarchy, survival of the fittest which would not be an ideal situation for most who see lawyers as people to ridicule and make fun of.
Do send your comment(s), observation(s) and recommendation(s) to [email protected]