Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting former Liberian President George Weah to address its annual conference.
Falana accused the former Liberian administration of undermining judicial independence and questioned the decision to give Weah a platform to speak to Nigerian lawyers about democracy and the rule of law.
He made the remarks on Monday, a day after Weah delivered the keynote address at the opening of the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Falana urged the NBA to reconsider its practice of inviting African leaders whom he described as dictators to speak at its conferences.
According to him, Weah’s administration, which governed Liberia from 2018 to 2024, compromised the independence of the judiciary to the extent that some Liberians had to seek legal redress through the ECOWAS Court.
He cited the case of the Mandingo people of Liberia, whose landed properties were allegedly confiscated during the country’s civil war.
Falana said although the ECOWAS Court ruled in favour of the affected people, Weah’s administration allegedly failed to enforce the judgment, adding that the current Liberian government under President Joseph Boakai had established a committee to facilitate its enforcement.
The lawyer also referred to the case of a former associate justice of Liberia’s Supreme Court, whom he said was removed from office without justification.
Falana said the ECOWAS Court overturned the dismissal, awarded the judge $200,000 and ordered his reinstatement, but alleged that the Weah administration failed to comply with the judgment.
He therefore questioned the rationale behind inviting Weah to address Nigerian lawyers on democratic governance and the rule of law.
Falana further accused the former administration of failing to adequately tackle drug trafficking in Liberia, citing what he described as the growing influence of drug traffickers during Weah’s tenure.
He urged the NBA to instead invite African leaders who, in his assessment, have demonstrated stronger commitments to democracy and good governance.
Meanwhile, Weah, in his keynote address at the conference, urged lawyers to remain impartial in the administration of justice and stressed the importance of an independent judiciary supported by a fearless legal profession.
The former Liberian president said democracy could not be sustained by “strong men” but by strong institutions, warning that governments that undermine the rule of law, collude with judges or engage in corruption pose a threat to democratic governance.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declared the conference open, also called for an independent judiciary, urging judges to remain courageous and committed to truth irrespective of the status or affiliations of litigants appearing before them.
