Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has called on legal practitioners to make access to justice a priority by extending their services to indigent and vulnerable citizens who lack the means to secure legal representation.
Governor Otti made the call on Tuesday while declaring open the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) Annual Conference, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Umuahia, with the theme, “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development”.
The Governor urged lawyers to adopt a more humane approach in handling cases involving vulnerable citizens who lack the financial means to defend their rights.
He added that government had a responsibility to protect vulnerable persons in the society stressing that the pursuit of justice should transcend professional interests and financial considerations
“And because you are lawyers, we need to go the extra mile of asking ourselves, beyond all the things that have been said, how can we be of service to people who cannot pay?
“How can we be of service to the vulnerable? How can we help people who on their own cannot afford to help themselves?
“Until government gets to that level, we have not cracked the surface. If it is only about you and then the money you make and all that, then you don’t need to be here. You may as well go and do something else”, Governor Otti said.
The Governor recounted how his administration discovered cases of people who had remained in correctional facilities despite having no justification for their continued detention, including an individual allegedly imprisoned for supporting an opposition political party.
He said the experience prompted him to direct the Attorney-General to work with the Chief Judge to ensure that such inmates were released.
Governor Otti warned against the misuse of the justice system to punish citizens for expressing opinions or engaging in social media activities, insisting that the protection of individual rights must remain central to governance.
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the justice system through sustained investment in judicial infrastructure across the state.
He disclosed that 10 newly constructed courthouses, fitted with renewable energy systems, digitalised court records and broadband connectivity, would soon be commissioned.
Governor Otti also announced plans to commence the construction of two model court complexes in Umuahia and Aba, each with a 1,000-seat auditorium and independent renewable energy facilities.
He urged lawyers to embrace technological changes and prepare for the future of legal practice.
In a keynote address, Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo urged lawyers to go beyond litigation and legal interpretation to champion public interest, protect the disadvantaged and ensure that democracy delivers tangible benefits to citizens.
Osinbajo, who identified expensive legal services, prolonged court proceedings, judicial corruption and impunity as major obstacles to access to justice, advocated people-centred reforms that would make legal services more affordable and accessible.
He cited the establishment of the Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Mediation Centres during his tenure as Lagos State Attorney-General as initiatives that brought justice closer to ordinary people.
In an address earlier, the NBA President Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsaya, (SAN), urged the NBA SPIDEL to intensify its advocacy for justice, democracy and development, particularly in protecting vulnerable citizens and improving access to justice.
The NBA President called for a focused intervention programme on the treatment of children in police custody and detention facilities, following reported deaths in custody, stressing that children must be recognised and treated as children from the outset.
She directed SPIDEL to work with relevant NBA branches, human rights and pro bono departments to identify responsibilities, partners and priority interventions within 30 days of the conference and submit a progress report within 90 days.
Badejo-Okunsaya said the initiative should address detention conditions, access to legal assistance, medical emergencies and the treatment of children, adding that public advocacy must be evidence-based, sustained and directed towards achieving meaningful change.
The conference featured technical sessions addressing critical national issues, including access to justice, detention and human rights, disability rights, judicial independence and the role of the Bar in a democracy.
