1. Sir, with this opportunity to hear directly from you, who really is Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, the first Senior Advocate from Borno State.
Well, it is always difficult to define one’s self but if I must, I will say that I am a man who came from humble beginnings in a village called Lassa which is situate in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State. “I am a person who God Almighty has favoured and permitted to become the first Senior Advocate from my home State, Borno State and the entire North-eastern region of Nigeria at just 11 (eleven) years at the bar.”
I am an individual who by the grace of God has achieved great things as a lawyer from very modest beginnings and I am now at the stage of my career where I want to continue to give back to my profession and the larger society, the younger lawyers particularly and all who it may please the almighty to bring my way in need of my assistance both human and material to the best of my ability.
What was it like journeying to the rank of the inner Bar?
It certainly was not an easy feat to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria especially when you come from humble beginnings. What made matters even more difficult was the fact that during that time, only about 12 (twelve) lawyers took Silk each year. As many would know then, it takes years of preparation and commitment to join the inner bar. When I was about 3 (three) years at the bar, I saw the requirements to take interesting. Life is like a venture – full of challenges and experiences. provided me with counselling and advice which is why I have made mentorship one of the cardinal principles of my practice to all without bias for race, creed, gender, religion and circumstances of birth.
2. What are the famous experiences of your early days in legal practice?
The beginning of a venture can be interesting. Life is like a venture full of challenges and experiences.
My early days in practice were no different. After my youth service with my Uncle, Mr Ismail Gadzama, I established my firm and began to practise on my own. At this point, I did not have a car, office or any equipment whatsoever. It was a one-man practice that required me to work round the clock without any day off like many young lawyers today today under very challenging circumstance nationwide.
I had to be a scavenger to even attempt to succeed. During this period, I had to deploy several skills to save operational costs and
acquire clients. I regularly picked used papers from the floor in cybercafes before using the unused side of the paper in my office. I also remember conducting many matters at the lower courts in Maiduguri and earning the day’s fees. I was regularly briefed minutes before the day’s proceedings which were normally conducted in the Hausa language. As you can imagine, I learnt how to think on my feet and had the opportunity to work on my advocacy skill. I did all of this while having it at the back of my mind that I wanted to join the inner bar someday and thus, ensured that while I handled matters that could provide for my immediate needs, I also got the requirements to attain Silk overtime.
I had to be a scavenger to even attempt to succeed. During this period, I had to deploy several skills to save operational costs and acquire clients. I regularly picked used papers from the floor in cybercafes before using the unused side of the paper in my office. I also remember conducting many matters at the lower courts in Maiduguri and earning the day’s fees. I was regularly briefed minutes before the day’s proceedings which were normally conducted in the Hausa language. As you can imagine, I learnt how to stand on my feet and had the opportunity to work on my advocacy skill. I did all of this while having it at the back of my mind that I wanted to join the inner bar someday and thus, ensured that while I handled matters that could provide for my immediate needs, I also got the requirements to attain Silk overtime.
3. What was it like journeying to the rank of the inner Bar?
It certainly was not an easy feat to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria especially when you come from humble beginnings. What made matters even more difficult was the fact that during that time, only about 12 (twelve) lawyers took Silk each year. As many would know then, it takes years of preparation and commitment to join the inner bar. When I was about 3 (three) years at the bar, I saw the requirements to take silk in a newspaper publication, I instantly went through it, kept it secured and worked towards attaining the rank. This has always informed my advice to lawyers especially young ones to open their mind to and be hungry for information.
The most difficult part was waking up everyday and proceeding to work, burning the midnight candle and using my scarce resources in pursuing cases in the Courts just to make my dream a reality. As you probably would know, in life, you cannot succeed as an island. While I was taking this journey, I met several people who assisted me along the way, one was Hon. Justice Muhammad Kaumi Kolo, of blessed memory who was the Chief Judge of Borno State at the time of my application. He supported me during my Silk application process and physically accompanied me to the Supreme Court in Abuja for my conferment with the rank. Another was Kadi Kaka Shehu Imam. He mentored me when I was a young lawyer in Maiduguri and always provided me with counseling and advise which is way I made mentorship one of the cardinal principles of my practice to all without bias for race, creed, gender, religion, and circumstances of birth.
4. Sir, you are dressed in full Rivers native attire, what informed the dress pattern?
Smiles…
Co-incidentally, most of my friends at the Bar, both old and juniors are from Rivers State, so I like wearing Rivers attires. I play golf game in Port Harcourt regularly, so in extension, I believe that I am a Rivers man by association. I actually love Rivers attires and of course Rivers people too. However, I am not given to much ethnic or cultural sentiment. I adapt to any culture and dressing code of anywhere I find myself.
5. What specific contributions have you made to the growth of the legal profession?
Permit me to begin by quoting a slightly modified version of a popular phrase, ‘charity begins at home although it never ends there.’ I have used my rank as the first SAN from the north-eastern region of the country to advance the interest of lawyers from the region and all over the country.
I and my firm have organised a public lecture series which is currently in its 14th (fourteenth) edition to educate lawyers and the public, annually on very contemporary topics germane to legal development, the role of the judiciary, growth of democracy, respect for the rule of law, gender rights and equality and the growth and success of younger lawyers coming behind us. I and my law firm bear all the expenses and ensure all our participants from far and wide, some straight out of university, the law school and most young wigs benefit from the programme. I and the law firm also host the Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Mentoring and Training for Young Lawyers. This is a yearly event that I and the law firm founded about a decade ago specially targeted at ensuring that our young lawyers get better at the delivery of quality services to clients that we can ever be (As we say in our culture as Africans It is the prayer of parents that their children do better than them) I began this training programme due to my realisation that the younger lawyers rarely get opportunities to meet with the more experienced lawyers for proper advising and counselling like we had opportunity in the past.
I founded the Janada International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation which is named after my late wife, Mrs. Jinada Joe-Kyari Gadzama. The Centre provides an avenue to conduct out-of-court settlements and it encourages litigants and practitioners to utilize alternate dispute resolution in resolving their disputes. I am also blessed to have 6 (six) children, two of whom have become lawyers and arbitrators and are practising with me learning the ropes with other young people from around the country in a truly convivial but strictly professional environment.
We also by the grace of God founded the Vox Populi Foundation which aims at promoting the well being of Legal practitioners and the society at large by broadening the discuss space on crucial issues of the day. It provides opportunity for young wigs to share problems, seek solutions and suggest new ways that technology can aid law practice. It may interest you to note that older lawyers have also benefitted from the knowledge of younger lawyers especially in the areas of technology and the law. We intend to deepen this interaction. I look forward to a future in law practice where young lawyers will be assigned mentors nationwide at no cost to the young ones to ensure that they benefit from wise Counsel, experience and have a listening ear to their often very beginner challenges. Interactions with such mentor or mentors will be aided by technology.
6. In what capacities have you served the NBA Sir?
I have had the privilege by the grace of almighty God to serve our noble profession in numerous capacities. Let me begin by saying that I was the Chairman of the NBA Abuja branch (2002-2004); the Pioneer chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (2006-2010); pioneer Council Member of the NBA Section on Business Law under the Chairmanship of Mr George Etomi and where it pleased the membership to elect me as a pioneer Council Member of the NBA Section on Legal Practice under the Chairmanship of Mr Yusuf Ali, SAN.
The NBA has found me worthy to chair the NBA National Electoral Committee in 1998 when T.J. Okpoko SAN emerged as the President of the Bar and I was the Chairman of the Conference planning committee in Jos in 2004. As a golfer, which I have also been at the fore front of urging many young lawyers to take up as a spot I am also the pioneer NBA Golf captain.
To add to this modest contribution over the years as a bar man, I have been a member of the National Executive Committee of the NBA which is our highest decision making body, for a good amount of years. Currently, although not under the NBA but closely related to it, I am the Chairman of the Mentoring Committee of the Body of Benchers.
7. Are you young lawyer friendly?
I do believe that I am, let me take some time to explain why. Most of the lawyers I work with are young lawyers who are remunerated well, provided interest-free loans and daily lunch. I sponsor my lawyers to attend conferences both locally and internationally. I see myself as a mentor. Currently, I am a Member of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN) Advisory Board, I am the Chairman of the Mentoring Committee of the Body of Benchers for Young Lawyers and Host of the Hon. Justi ce Chukwudifu Oputa Professional Training and Mentoring Programme.
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Yearly, I take in over 10 (ten) corp members from different parts of the country to learn the practice of law under my tutelage. This year, due to the number of corp members in the system, I have about 20 (twenty) working with me. I take in over 20 (twenty) externs from the Nigerian Law School during each session and ensure they are actively engaged in my firm. I also provide mentorship to university students, at the moment, Baze University is collaborating with my firm to make use of our moot court and obtain work placements free of charge. Young lawyers from Rivers State in the likes of Georgina Okaragba, from Erema in Onelga, Tamunokuro Akuro George Esq. from Okrika and Dr. Orowhuo W. Okocha Esq. from Obio/Akpor all had their tutelage practice under me in my office. By the grace of God, with good health and Gods direction I and the firm will continue to do more for the growth of the profession. I have and will always be a Bar man.
8. Are there things you feel the NBA is not doing properly and ought to redo?
Let me begin by commending the administration led by Mr Olumide Akpata. He is running an administration that is for the benefit of virtually all groups of lawyers. There is no perfect administration and no administration can solve all the issues of the NBA – it requires consistent efforts from succeeding administrations. I believe that the NBA can impact more on the lives of lawyers and the current administration is raising the bar in a lot of areas to the glory of God. I must commend the recent initiative by the President to provide free LawPavilion subscriptions to members but I believe that we can do more in terms of ensuring that we find a solution that ensures that younger lawyers are paid adequately in the face of the changes in the economy, raising inflation, hustlers taking away the business of lawyers which the present administration is battling and a whole lot of welfare related issues that confront a young lawyer daily, finding ways to ensure that our noble profession is not intruded on by quacks and eliminating the trend of harassment of lawyers by security operatives.
To add, I read a publication credited to Mr Udemezue this year. In it, he restated the core missions of the NBA. Within that publication, he highlighted that the core functions of the NBA are to promote the interest of its members while all others are secondary. I will advise the leadership to continue to put significant effort and resources into ensuring that the interest of lawyers in matters such as obtaining affordable healthcare, providing insurance schemes and other matters that would touch the lives of members are placed as the NBA’s number 1 (one) priority and pursued with vigour nationwide. Posterity will certainly remember the leadership of bar that stay on this path.
9. What is your take on the call for the intervention of the NBA with respect to the professional charges, particularly on the billing for preparing land documentations for clients?
This is a highly necessary intervention. We have witnessed situations where clients pay lawyers insignificant sums as fees for services rendered. We have also seen that the cost of virtually everything in the country has skyrocketed. This calls for an upward review of our professional charges is opportune and should be encouraged by all. It should not only stop at the upward review of the charges but ensuring that no fellow lawyer undercuts the profession and setting adequate rules to prevent such.
To reach a consensus on how to implement the enforcement of the profession’s minimum charges, we will require townhall meetings nationwide where views will be collected with respect to how best we can translate this concern into reality through workable solutions after obtaining the views of most members of the profession. This way, we will carry most of our colleagues along and the decision reached will have a greater effect on the minds of everyone and the larger society will be put on notice.
10. About six (6) years ago when you attempted to lead the Bar, there was this palpable fear that you were too exposed and independent-minded to lead the Bar as a chief helmsman, was the fear well founded?
To lead an organisation, one must be exposed and independent no doubt. This is the hallmark of leadership any where in the world so if I am rightly perceived as being exposed and independent of mind then I must have lived up to the basic requirement of training as a legal practitioner which is to possess the ability to stand firm when one is on solid foundation, to preserve and protect the positive values of our profession and the larger society and to ender our self to the survival and progress of lawyers everywhere in Nigeria.
If this is what is whispered about me then I am glad. It is normal as people are entitled to their opinions and viewpoints. I see myself as a person who has been involved in numerous activities of the NBA and someone that understands the issues at the bar and I will continue to give to the best of my ability once the opportunity provides itself service to all irrespective of our view points. But I am sure that you will pray to have a child who will be exposed and have independence of thought for the benefit of the family, the community and the larger society.
11. What do you think accounts for the declining standard of professional ethics and ethos in the legal profession, and what do you suggest should be done to remedy the situation?
To my mind, ethics and ethos are discarded when frustration and lack of confidence in a set of rules are present. Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes Vivour, JSC (Rtd.) made a speech at the August 27, 2021 Call to Bar Ceremony at Eagle Square, Abuja, wherein he mentioned that 11 (eleven) lawyers had been sanctioned for misconduct. It seems that this number keeps soaring yearly. I do not stand for the non compliance with our rules but as many commentators have mentioned, I believe the most adequate remedy would be to update our rules as numerous provisions contained in them are not practical at this given time. For example, Legal Practitioners should be permitted to engage in certain types of businesses .Furthermore, the NBA can organise more workshops and training on legal ethics to explain to lawyers why it is essential to avoid misconduct. I concede that there is a general decline in the moral value system but a lawyer should be above board given the standing of the Bar in society, we will continue to work towards ensuring that the bar is constantly reformed in order to bring out the best in us. I must also quickly state for the records that as a body we have more of our members obeying the rules and procedures than those doing so in the breach. As a bar man no effort is too much in the service of a profession that has given me so much (ie) respect and regards in the eyes of society, life long quality friends both young and old all over the country, a daily bread, the opportunity to provide justice and succor for the parties, the Court and the society and finally one has been at the vanguard of providing probono service to the downtrodden and have also by the grace of good seen the world.
12. Do you think the NBA is doing enough in its avowed role of promoting the rule of law in the society?
The NBA has been active under the current administration in the promotion of the Rule of law. Mr Olumide Akpata and Mr Monday Ubani, the Chair of the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development law have to the best of their abilities stood up against violations of the rule of law in the society and frowned at the abuse of powers especially by government functionaries. In the testament of this, I was recently appointed by the NBA to head its team to challenge the tenure elongation of the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu. The NBA-SPIDEL also speedily organised a webinar examining the indiscriminate grant of ex-parte orders. This is highly commendable where a distinguished panel examined this vexed issue.
These are just a few of the issues amongst many that the current administration have challenged in recent times and one must note that it is within their mandate as the NBA is divided into various sections with clearly defined areas of intervention.
There is always room for improvement and in this regard, I think the NBA can engage in more discussions and if required, initiate suits against necessary stakeholders when it adjudges that the rule of law has been infringed in any way by persons in authority whose duty it should be to uphold and preserve same. I am a firm believer in the role of the bar using the instrumentality of the law to check excess of public officers, society is usually better for it as it enables the growth of jurisprudence as well as serve as a check on abuse of power.
13. What reforms do you suggest the NBA does for its electoral process?
Recall that 2016 was the first time the e-voting system was adopted. It has gradually been improved upon and I have faith in the current administration that it would take the system to the next level. I remember that the Akpata administration set up an electoral review committee which was headed by Akintunde Ayodele SAN on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Memoranda were written and sent. I also drafted one and sent it to the review committee. The committee presented its report at the National Executive Council meeting of the Bar and the same was unanimously adopted.
Permit me to recount, rather briefly, some of the recommendations I think would assist the NBA in reforming its election process. First, the electoral committee to conduct the election ought to be appointed early to ensure it has enough time to conduct the election in compliance with the Constitution of the Association. Secondly, to preserve the sanctity and respect for the office of the President, he/she must work hard towards ensuring that the system promotes justice and the good of all. Third, the candidates should be given access to inspect the information technology infrastructure used before and after the conclusion of the elections.
14. As Chairman, Body of B e n c h e r s Mentoring Committee for Young Lawyers, what should be the immediate expectations from you.
We have been working round the
Bar to rise against this challenge and refuse briefs that will aim to ridicule the judiciary.
It will be beneficial if we have a bar that we can all be proud of. As it is commonly said, the strength of a team is in its weakest link (member). If we all stay united to confront the challenges facing us, we will build a Bar that we will all be proud to associate with.
15. What are your hobbies, Sir?
I am a man of many adventures. I think many people know that I love a good game of golf but I do more clock on the need to impact positively on our young lawyers under 7 years at the Bar. We hope to come up with an online training programme for them hopefully in November this year. To us, this is a low hanging fruit and we shall assess ourselves and then move on to several other activities. than this. I swim everyday in my house, I take hikes once a while, I enjoy watching football; and I like to do light exercises in the gym and of all I join all NBA organised health activities whenever we attend, weeks, Seminars, conference anywhere around Nigeria
16. What other message do you have for the Bar?
Our bar which is the largest in Africa should continue to promote unity amongst our members to achieve the common goal and objective of making the bar and Nigeria at large of great repute. We must rise and face all challenges that may come at us. I have noticed with dismay that lawyers are now used as pawns to ridicule the judiciary. I call on the Bar to rise against this challenge and refuse briefs that will aim to ridicule the judiciary. It will be beneficial if we have a bar that we can all be proud of. As it is commonly said, the strength of a team is in its weakest link (member). If we all stay united to confront the challenges facing us, we will build a Bar that we will all be proud to
associate with.
17. Any parting shots from Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN?
I have and always will remain a bar man. “I will look out for and vigorously pursue that which will make the bar better for all and for those coming behind us”. I have and will remain ever grateful to Almighty God and all the who have been instrumental to who I have become and the modest achievements I have made. May the Good Lord bring all younger ones destiny helpers as they strive to find their feet in the one and only respectable profession whose main business is that of preserving and protecting the dignity and liberty of others under a just and human society where the Rule of Law.
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