Authorized practitioners committee dismisses petition towards deputy speaker

The Authorized Practitioners Disciplinary Committee has dismissed a petition filed towards the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, holding that no prima facie case was established to warrant disciplinary proceedings towards him.

In an authorized true copy of its determination referenced BB/LPDC/1954/2026 on Wednesday, the committee held that the allegations contained within the grievance fell exterior its jurisdiction.

The grievance was filed by a lawyer, John Martins, who alleged that Kalu, previously generally known as Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu, concurrently participated within the Nationwide Youth Service Corps scheme whereas attending the Nigerian Legislation School previous to his name to the Bar in 2011.

Martins had contended that the alleged twin participation violated the provisions of the NYSC Act and amounted to false declarations, which, in line with him, fashioned the idea of the respondent’s name to the Bar on September 6, 2011, and his subsequent enrolment on the Roll of Authorized Practitioners on the Supreme Court docket on October 5, 2011.

Nonetheless, in its opinion signed by a senior member of the panel, Umeh Kalu (SAN), the LPDC held that the grievance was procedurally faulty and substantively exterior the committee’s mandate.

The committee famous that the assertion of information accompanying the applying was wrongly addressed.

It said, “The Assertion of Details accompanying this Software… is addressed to the Chairman, Authorized Practitioners Privileges Committee… and to not the Chairman of the LPDC as required by the Guidelines.”

Though the panel stated it selected to miss the procedural error, it held that the substance of the allegations couldn’t be entertained by the disciplinary physique.

The ruling said that the allegations bordered on felony points regarding false declarations and alleged fraudulent enrolment as a authorized practitioner.

It additional noticed that the alleged infractions occurred earlier than the respondent was enrolled as a lawyer.

“The LPDC can’t interrogate the operations of the Nigerian Legislation School, the Council of Authorized Training, the NYSC, and the Physique of Benchers,” the committee said.

It added that the physique was established strictly to control the conduct of attorneys in the midst of skilled observe.

“The LPDC is strictly a physique set as much as regulate the conduct of individuals known as to the Nigerian Bar within the discharge of their skilled duties to members of the Public,” the ruling learn.

The panel concluded that the grievance didn’t disclose any foundation for disciplinary proceedings.

“Within the circumstances, I discover that the Applicant has not adduced any prima facie proof… to warrant the Respondent being invited to answer the grievance… No prima facie case is established,” it held.

Efforts to acquire Kalu’s response to the ruling had been unsuccessful as calls and textual content messages despatched to him weren’t responded to as of the time of submitting this report.