Client Told Me My Legal Fees Aren’t Needed “As He Settled With The Judge Says Lawyer On Live TV
In an impassioned television appearance Thursday, Nigerian lawyer Myson Nejo spoke boldly about the decay of integrity spread through the nation’s judiciary – arguing corruption has created an untenable crisis of legal precedent.
“There is nothing like precedent again,” Nejo proclaimed on the morning program Sunrise Daily aired on Channels TV. He pointed to a slew of controversial court judgments overturning election results, removing governors from office.
“When you look at what is happening there like the issue of Kano, the issue of Plateau, the issue of Nasarawa, conflict judgment everywhere,” he lamented.
Nejo warned the brazen reversal of legal precedents was deeply unsettling for both the careers and personal safety of lawyers. He shared an anecdote about clients seeking his legal services strictly to bribe judges – assuming victory could simply be purchased through the courts.
According to Him “A client came to me and said he needed my service, which I said okay and told him this is what I was going to charge. But he told me I shouldn’t worry, that he just needed me to go to court as he had discussed with the Chief Judge, and it is just for me to show up and what I am charging should be reduced as he has settled with the judge. Can you see that kind of embarrassment when a client comes and says that kind of thing to you and that’s what they are facing?”
While arguing a minority of upright judges remain, Nejo laid systemic judicial corruption at the feet of too many willing to disregard ethics for self-enrichment. He spoke with passion about restoring a baseline functioning legal system guided by precedent rather than coercion.
“It’s a sad movement for lawyers in this country,” Nejo concluded. Through the TV lens, his call echoed loud for reform.
