Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has charged members of the Nigerian Association of Adventist Lawyers (NAAL) to uphold high moral and ethical principles in their role as ministers in the temple of justice.
Governor Otti who gave the charge at the Eastern Nigerian Union Conference Headquarters of the Seventh Day Adventist Church Aba, while declaring open the 2025 Aba Convention of NAAL, disclosed that principled members of the legal profession can, by their acts, change the direction, quality and quantum of influence affecting human endeavor and determining the fate of man.
The Governor represented by his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba described the theme of the convention, “Weaving Morality into Legal Practice in this Digital Age,” as apt considering the complex ethical and technical challenges facing the society and the legal profession.
The State Chief Executive explained that no group of people is in a better position to drive the needed change in the society than the Christian judicial officers, adding that the society will be a lot better if the judicial system is sanitized and based on equity and fairness and not on the basis of dispensing justice to the highest bidders.
He noted that many Nigerians resort to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that have found expression in self help and jungle justice due to their lack of trust in the perceived corrupt judicial system prevalent in the country, and urged them to integrate both technology that has the capacity to enrich the quality of their legal research as well as the hallowed Christian principles to restore the hope of the masses in the legal system.
He further stressed the need to make morality and fairness the hallmark of the judicial system, inject technology in administration of justice, pointing out that the entire legal system in Abia has been digitized to enhance productivity and create access to limitless resources as it affects the legal system.
In his welcome address, the President, Nigerian Association of Adventist Lawyers (NAAL), Dr Sunday Abednego, said the objective of the association is to bring lawyers from Adventist faith together to inculcate in them appropriate moral definition of their calling as ministers in the temple of justice.
Dr Abednego explained that the essence of the convention is to integrate their faith with their legal careers, fostering a community where Adventist lawyers can share resources, support each other, contribute to the legal field with integrity and a commitment to justice, and thanked Governor Alex Otti for his support towards the successful hosting of the convention in the state.
In a homily titled, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”, the President, Eastern Nigeria Union Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Pastor Prof. Bassey Udoh, harped on the need for all to recognize their mistakes and plead for God’s mercy, and commended NAAL for their commitment in working to see that legal cases involving the church and its arms are pursued at very minimal cost.
In her address, the keynote speaker, Justice Onyekachi Otisi commended NAAL members for consistently raising the standard of legal ethics by infusing spiritual and moral insights into legal thought and practice and encouraged them to use their legal skills to promote justice, fairness, and the well-being of society, reflecting their commitment to both their faith and the law.
Our correspondent reports that the convention which attracted Adventist Lawyers across the nation among other distinguished personalities also featured goodwill messages, discussion segments, question and answer sessions, book presentation and tours.
