The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, attended the two-day residential training programme organised for members of the NBA Prosecution Team at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), themed “Understanding the LPDC Framework and Prosecutorial Mandate.”
The intensive training was designed to strengthen the capacity of prosecutors entrusted with the solemn responsibility of upholding ethical standards within the legal profession and ensuring that the disciplinary process remains credible, efficient, and just.
Addressing participants, the NBA President commended members of the Prosecution Team for making themselves available to serve in such a critical capacity. He noted that accepting to function as prosecutors before the LPDC is not merely an administrative role but a profound professional obligation, one that speaks to personal integrity, courage, and commitment to the sanctity of the Bar.
He emphasized that the LPDC remains one of the most important institutions within the legal profession, serving as the guardian of professional conduct and the mechanism through which public confidence in lawyers is preserved. According to him, discipline is not punitive for its own sake; rather, it is foundational to the credibility, dignity, and continued relevance of the legal profession.
The President further expressed his expectation that, following the training, the Prosecution Team would approach its mandate with renewed clarity, strategic focus, and determination. He noted that a significant number of petitions have already been submitted to the Association, and it is imperative that these matters be handled diligently, fairly, and expeditiously. He stressed that timely and decisive action in disciplinary matters reinforces the message that ethical compliance is not optional but integral to legal practice.
He reminded participants that the strength of any profession lies in its ability to regulate itself effectively. Where discipline is firm, transparent, and principled, the integrity of the profession is safeguarded. Where it is weak or delayed, public trust is eroded. The responsibility placed on LPDC prosecutors, therefore, is both institutional and historic.
In concluding his remarks, the NBA President expressed deep appreciation to the members of the Prosecution Team for accepting the weighty responsibility placed upon them. He assured them of his full support and that of the leadership of the Association in ensuring that they are equipped to discharge their mandate effectively.
The training marks yet another step in the NBA’s ongoing commitment to strengthening internal accountability mechanisms, reinforcing professional ethics, and preserving the noble traditions of the legal profession in Nigeria.
Discipline remains the backbone of professional excellence, and through the LPDC, the NBA continues to affirm that the Bar must not only demand justice for society, but also embody it within its own ranks.
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