August 29, 2026
In my post of 26 August on the controversy arising from the Conference I maintained that the real problem was not with any particular invitee. The problem is with us. I still hold that position.
Our values have changed and we must find the courage to admit it. If we lack the courage or the will to accept this truth we cannot retrace our steps or begin the difficult task of rebuilding the institution.
When lawyers no longer lead the nation in thought, courage and public advocacy we inevitably yield the stage to those willing to occupy it. We cannot abandon the public space and then quarrel with those who step forward to fill the vacuum we created.
The NBA once led public thought. There was a time when the Association produced leaders like Alao Aka Bashorun, the Lion of the Bar, who did not merely practise law but confronted power with it.
