NBA Bwari Branch Member, Ebenezer JP Esq, Counters NBA General Secretary on Stamp and Seal Policy
A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Bwari Branch, Ebenezer JP Esq, has expressed strong disagreement with recent claims by the NBA General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, regarding the discontinuation of complimentary stamps and seals for lawyers. Ebenezer accused the current NBA administration, led by Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN, of executing the policy that abolished the free seal system, which lawyers had benefited from since its introduction during Olumide Akpata’s tenure.
In a statement, Ebenezer JP Esq criticized the current leadership for allegedly shifting blame to the administration of YC Maikyau SAN while implementing the controversial change. According to him, complimentary stamps were still provided in 2024 under Maikyau’s administration, and even Osigwe and his executives benefited from the policy.
“It is worrisome that the Osigwe administration, through the Secretary General, could claim this early to our face, attributing the abolition of complimentary seals to the immediate past administration when, by the policy of the ever-blessed Akpata, Osigwe himself and his executives had their 2024 free seals when Maikyau held sway,” Ebenezer stated.
He argued that even if Maikyau initiated the process of ending the free seal regime, it was the current Osigwe administration that executed it, thereby abolishing what lawyers across all levels and years of practice had previously enjoyed. He further lamented that the Osigwe-led NBA compounded the issue by increasing the price of the seal, calling it a significant burden on lawyers who already face financial pressures.
“The cost of maintaining the free seal is unbearable to the NBA, yet the additional cost of paying for the seal by members is nothing to him,” Ebenezer said, adding that the tangible welfare benefits for members under the NBA are now virtually nonexistent.
He also criticized the Osigwe administration for failing to prioritize the welfare of lawyers, accusing it of offering only rhetoric rather than practical benefits like the complimentary stamps and seals that served as tools for every practicing lawyer.
Quoting poet Kofi Awoonor’s “Songs of Sorrow,” Ebenezer likened the situation to a betrayal of good intentions, asking where the legacy of Akpata and others who championed lawyer welfare has gone. He accused the current administration of destroying the very foundation that brought it into leadership.
