The Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has urged true lovers and practitioners of the legal profession in Nigeria to protect the image of the profession.

The deputy governor made the call when a joint delegation of the Sagbama and Yenagoa Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the leadership of the Young Lawyers Forum, Sagbama Chapter visited him in Yenagoa.

Ewhrudjakpo expressed worries that the once highly respected legal profession is now being denigrated by the unethical conduct of some of its practitioners in the country.

The deputy governor, who expressed concerns over the brazen manner some lawyers were turning the legal profession to media practice, noted that it is unethical for practitioners to discuss subjudicial cases on television and other media platforms in their quest to achieve popularity.

Ewhrudjakpo, also took a swipe at lawyers who encourage their clients to disrespect court orders and judgments.

‘The judiciary is under trial in the country. Therefore, those who truly love the profession must do everything within their reach to redeem its image as the beacon of hope for the common man and defender of the rule of law,” he said.

Also addressing the Young Lawyers Forum led by Mr Peres Agari, the deputy governor enjoined freshers in the profession to be studious and make innovation, imaginativeness and smartness their watchword to achieve success in the legal career.

“When I was growing up, lawyers restrained themselves from talking about cases that are subjudice (in court). But today, we even discuss the merit and demerit of a case on television and on the pages of newspapers.

“A lawyer going to TV or hold a press conference on subsisting cases and justifying why one arm of government or the other will not obey a court order. To me, that is taking patronage too far.

“Lawyers must learn how to restrain themselves because by our conducts, we are reducing the status and estimation of the judiciary in the eyes of the public. We must know that our profession is on trial in this country.

“We must tell ourselves the bitter truth. The nobleness of our profession is fast eroding, and so, we have to work hard to redeem the image of the legal profession,” he said.

In their remarks, the NBA Yenagoa Chairman, Mr Johnbull Somina, and his Sagbama counterpart, Mr Igbomgbo Paraboma, acknowledged the support and cordial working relationship between the state government and the two branches of NBA in the state.

While assuring government of collaboration in maintaining peace, law and order in the state, Mr. Somina pleaded with government to support both branches attend and participate in the NBA Annual General Conference in Abuja.

Also speaking , the pioneer NBA Chairman in Bayelsa State, Mr Clinton Ayabowei, poured encomium on the Deputy Governor for his openness and approachable attitude to governance.

Ayabowei, who is also a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa, appealed to the state government to fulfill its earlier promise to provide a bus each for the NBA Yenagoa and Sagbama branches.