*Tells Falana His NBA Invite Based On Experience, Not Books
SOCIAL media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has knocked the Nigerian legal profession, saying it can no longer be regarded as a noble profession in the country.
VDM, who stated this while responding to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he participated in a panel discussion on insecurity and shared his views on the challenges facing Nigerians, told human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, that his invitation to speak at the conference based on experience, not books.
Recall that his appearance at the conference attracted reactions from some members of the profession, including Falana, who questioned the decision to invite him to the gathering, while the Police have invited him to substantiate his allegation that security agents on major highways aide insecurity and kidnapping activities.
However, VDM, in his reaction to the criticism, in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, August 28, explained that he attended the conference to speak on behalf of Nigerians, adding: “I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice.”
The social media influencer wondered why some members of the profession were uncomfortable with his participation at the event attended by lawyers, saying: “Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst.”
He dismissed the notion that Law remains a noble profession in Nigeria, noting: “This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession.
“Well, lately, Law has not been a noble profession. I’m sorry to say. I’m not even sorry to say. It is what it is.”
He argued that many lawyers in Nigeria struggle to secure employment or practise their profession, describing Law as one of the country’s poorest professions, adding: “But even you, some of you who are not even practising. Mind you, Law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country.
“Because we never talk about it? Law is one of the most broke professions. One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”
VDM questioned the employment prospects of lawyers, asking how many trained legal practitioners have jobs and how many regularly appear in court, saying: “How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”
He lamented the number of graduates from the Nigerian Law School, despite limited opportunities within the profession, saying: “And every year, they say they have people graduating from Law School. Four thousand have graduated from Law School, only to end up selling bed sheets.”
VDM said Falana’s comments that the NBA should not invite “somebody from nowhere” to speak on specialised issues, such as national security, had made it clearer to him why some people were opposed to his invitation to the conference.
Describing the issue as “classism,” the activist said he believed his invitation had been questioned because of his background and status, compared with those attending the conference, adding: “The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come and speak where elites are seated.”
Arguing that his experience of insecurity qualified him to contribute to discussions on the subject, VDM stated: “Lately in the last few years, I have been present where all these things have happened. I have seen things that a lot of security experts have not seen.
“This is not about book. It’s not about book; it’s about experience.”
Mocking the legal profession by dressing as lawyer in another video, VDM said insecurity was an issue affecting everyone, particularly ordinary Nigerians who were exposed to it, insisting: “Security is for everybody. Security is not for some set of people. And this has been the problem.
“I wasn’t expecting this angle from Femi Falana, but well, it is what it is.”
