The Nigerian Bar Association on Friday said it is collaborating with the Supreme Court of Nigeria to resolve complaints from lawyers who have not been issued their Enrolment Numbers.
This was contained in a statement by the NBA National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapulu Nduk.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Supreme Court Enrolment number is a unique number for every lawyer who has been successfully called to the Nigerian Bar and duly enlisted in the roll of the Supreme Court.
Nduk said: The enrolment number is similar to a gate pass as it is imprinted on the seal of legal practitioners, and also required to be produced by every lawyer for any documentation.
“Recently, there has been complaints from some lawyers newly called to the bar, that they were yet to be issued with their numbers.
“The NBA has recently been inundated with credible complaints from some legal practitioners especially those called to the Nigerian Bar in recent years who are yet to be issued their Supreme Court Enrollment Numbers.
“As you may be aware, the issuance of enrollment numbers to legal practitioners called to the Nigerian Bar is within the exclusive administrative competence of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“However, where numbers are not issued at the point of enrollment, the NBA typically interfaces with the supreme court authorities to ensure that the process of issuing the numbers is made seamless.
“In playing this role, the NBA has become fully seized of some systemic issues that have affected the issuance of these supreme court enrollment Numbers to these affected members of the legal profession.
“The NBA, therefore, wishes to notify its members, especially those affected, that the leadership of the NBA is currently working with the supreme court to sort these lingering issues.”
The NBA also assured affected members that with the suspension of the industrial action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, these issues would hopefully be resolved very soon.