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By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Nigeria Bar Association, NBA Abakaliki Branch, Ebonyi State has expressed dismay over what it described as flagrant abuse of the implementation of charging of legal service fees by its 'unknown disgruntled members.'
The Secretary of the NBA Legal Services Implementation Committee, Abakaliki Branch, Barr Luke Chibueze Adonwe raised the alarm in a release made available to journalists in Abakaliki, on Saturday morning.
Barr Adonwe called on the attention of the NBA members to "take Notice that the Implementation Committee of the Legal Fees have discovered with deepest dismay that many lawyers lose their briefs and fees to unknown disgruntled colleagues or supposed colleagues who accept a minute fee to prepare titled documents such as Deeds and Power of Attorney."
He prompted the alleged disgruntled NBA members to be aware he/she was never smarter than any of them who keep the charging of legal fee restrictions since called to the Bar.
"Take further Notice that you are not smarter than any of us but you have only successfully pushed us to note as follows:
"That you have derobed yourself or yourselves in advance without further recourse as we have already sent secret Police who follows the person who you prepared the said documents for less than 10% and he or she has gotten facts against you.
"That those you gladly prepared the documents for, for peanuts are our agents and not real property owners.
"That the use of scanned Seal for the preparation of land documents is a deemed forgery and if you indulge in same, kindly recall all such documents and affix your current documents with new or original seals to avoid had I known.
"That your litigation Secretary be forewarned not to prepare for himself/herself or on your behalf any document of title without your approval for any amount especially less than 10%.
"That you should not lend your NBA Stamp and Seal to another colleague to avoid putting you in trouble legally speaking.
"That the use of scanned NBA Stamp and Seal is hereby banned forthwith while we encourage the attachment of evidence of payment for NBA Stamp and Seal cum Bar Practicing fee on all documents for filings in Court and Title documents for registration at Lands Registry.
"That receiving telephone conversation briefs and negotiations of Land instruments prices are hereby banned flowing from the Rules of the Professional Conduct ( you can consult your Acts).
"That the pretences of preparing land documents pro Bono are professional misconduct because "he who is capable of purchasing a property worth any amount ranging from #2,000.00 and above is not an indigent clientele and should not be presumed to be so," Adonwe contended.
The NBA Implementation Committee scribe further warned the disobedient members of the directives should make urgent amendments as his team would not tolerate further abuse of the Body's final decision on the New Legal Services charges.
He said: "Those who are salary employees should take notice of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conducts for Legal Practitioners and act accordingly without incurring their angers by preparing some documents ( especially excessively cheap, that is less than 10%.
"We are already following up on some documents prepared by some people after several warnings in disregard to the directives of the National President of NBA.
"Herein, the fat man at Ogoja Road, Abakaliki, we greet you Sir, the colleagues at Gunning Road, and Newmarket Road, Abakaliki and those fast guys at Business Centres near Old Government House, I greet you, those at Ojeawere Street, Abakaliki, should equally warn themselves and the litigation Secretaries, because very soon wahala go burst."
Barr Adonwe also urged his colleagues to always remember to file their title documents(Deeds) with the real dates of executions inserted on the said documents as provided by Stamp Duty Acts.
"Once a client turns down your 10% fees and wishes to leave, kindly find a way to follow such person to identify who finally prepared the said document(s) for less than 10% and report the same person to me via WhatsApp or phone number 08069505716," he urged.
