NBA Okitipupa wants registration fee over submission of petition stopped.

By ADMIN.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Okitipupa Branch has protested against any payment as fee for registration or submission of petition by Lawyers. In a letter jointly signed by Omotola. O. Odusola, ESQ, Chairman NBA , Okitipupa Branch and National Member of NBA anti corruption Committee and Oluwaseun. O Meduoye, ESQ, Secretary NBA Okitipupa and Member National Executive Committee, the Bar solidly condemned and objected to what it termed “the absurd practice of demanding Twenty-two thousand Naira ( N22, 000.00)or any fees for the registration and /or submission of petitions by Lawyers or their clients.” In the letter dated 5th March, the Okitipupa Branch of The NBA noted that it was intimating The Office of The Area Command, Ore, in Odigbo Local Govt Area of Ondo State of its objection to the absurd practice of demanding the sum of twenty- two thousand Naira or any fees for that matter for the registration of /or submission of petition by Lawyers or their clients.

Tola Odusola charged that while such practice is strange and unheard of at the Police Headquarters in Akure, it came to the knowledge of NBA Okitipupa that at the Odigbo Command , lawyers are charged five thousand Naira being a fee for the submission of their petitions.

The letter reads in part, “against the backdrop of the feedback, we hereby write to intimate your good office that all members of our branch which cut across Okitipupa, Irele, Ese Odo and Ore have been mandated to stop paying any fee whatsoever for the registration of petitions at your Area Command and in all Divisions under your command as the decision takes effect from the day of receipt of the letter.

” The Nigerian Bar Association makes bold to say that the collection of any fee for the registration of petitions submitted by a lawyer or through his or her client will undermine the integrity of the legal profession as well as the public trust and faith in The Nigeria Police.”

The letter indicated that it was important to set the record straight that Lawyers will no longer pay any of such bill that is strange to the law in the command and adjoining divisions , stressing that the Area Command should take notice of this resolve so as to avoid conflict or misunderstanding with members of the legal profession or their secretary when the need arises to submit petition as none of such registration fee will henceforth be paid by Lawyers , who understandably are very much aware of what is right by the tenet of their profession.

Reiterating this resolve, Tola Odusola and Oluwaseun Meduoye added, ” while we leave you to ponder on the foregoing, kindly take notice that all legal practitioners in our branch shall continue to come to your Police Command and Police station under your command to submit their clients’ petitions without paying any fee to register the petition.”