By Hussaini Hussaini

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) just issued a notice that from the 10th and 31st of August,2020, their customers from Abuja and Lagos will no longer be granted access to the commission to physically carry out their transactions and documents will henceforth be exchanged between the commission and customers via courier and emails.

This has started generating considerable grumbling and protest from lawyers (as reported by Daily Trust and other media channels) in Abuja as it may from the face of it be seen as a setback to Abuja customers who have the sole privilege to access the commission and even access to companies’ files physically compared to other customers in the commission’s branches nationwide.

Even though some comments I read on social media suggest that some customers/lawyers welcomed the idea, as the head of the commission, the registrar General, Malam Abubakar Garba, has been the main person to be blamed in the mouth of grumblers.

Well, on the 24th of February, 2020, I was part of the members of NBA-Abuja Inter-Agency committee who visited the Registrar General to congratulate him on his appointment and to table before him the concerns of lawyers who do business with the commission. We raised several issues up to something as minute as the quality of the paper on which certificates are printed. He welcomed us; listened to us; and addressed each and every concern raised and promised to look into those which he was not able to explain at that time. His humility and professionalism as I saw through his smiles and jovial interaction we had was unmatched and typical of a very senior lawyer that he is.

Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 brought about fresh challenges. First was a total shutdown of the commission due to the total lockdown hitherto observed in the country.

The lockdown may probably be less a challenge to the commission and its customers compared to the one posed by the partial ease of the lockdown which allows only civil servants of grade level 14 to be in the office and work only between the hours of 8:00am to 2:00pm. These senior staff are now expected to clear the backlog of jobs lunched and waiting on the portal and to do all the work meant for them and that of the hundreds of Junior and NYSC staff staying at home due to the Covid-19 circular issued by the Presidency.

It will only be fair if we as customers don’t expect business as usual or expect our requests treated in 24 hours as it used to be before the pandemic.

Unfortunately, it’s this time that has seen so many hostile approach of customers to the officials of CAC under guess of complaints. I personally witness a scene at the first floor of the commission’s headquarters recently where a woman was shouting and raining abuses on God knows who and why!

Unfortunately, I saw the Registrar General masked up in his kaftan coming through the said floor being escorted by some of the commission’s security personnel. He didn’t even return my greetings as he seems unhappy.

Even though the majority of people doing business at CAC are lawyers, I don’t want to believe these crop of hostile customers are lawyers because rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct fo Legal Practitioners, 2007 gives an almighty definition of how a lawyer should behave.

Aren’t we chosen exclusively to be judges in order to solve problems not to create more? Please and please, is it fair to expect these directors cadre to do their work; that of their junior staff and those previously handled by NYSC staff all in the same time frame as it used to be? Haba now! Please put yourself or your loved ones in their shoes and reason again.
No matter the identity of those causing nuisance, please ask yourself: will you allow such nuisance in your home or work place?

Isn’t it contemptuous to do this same things done at CAC in court? Or is fair to treat these senior staff of directorate cadre with disdain or cause rancor in their place of work just because we have the privilege to meet them physically, dear fellow customers sir/ma?

Now, before you criticise the RG, I hope you, most especially my learned colleagues, have realised through these few words that we have a burden of supporting the commission by exercising patient in our transactions at this trying time.

I also wish to finally suggest that it won’t be out of place if customers make reasonable observations to the commission in the right manner and through the right channel.

I also suggest that either or both the Unity Bar and the National body of NBA approach the commission for a meaningful discussion.

Hussaini Hussaini is a Legal Practitioner based in Abuja and can be reached via [email protected].