Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing: EU, IDEA, NBA Partner to Get Nigeria off Grey List

•Over 300 lawyers sensitised on professional conduct

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), with the support of the European Union, is working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to get Nigeria off the list of high-risk areas of money laundry, funding of terrorism and, proliferation of small arms.

Nigeria has already been designated as one of the high-risk areas of money laundering and terrorism financing.

Anti-corruption Programme Manager of the EU-funded Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Programme (RoLAC-Phase II) of International IDEA, Dr. Emmanuel Uche, revealed the efforts at a two-day sensitisation event on the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners in Abuja.

Uche said the essence of the workshop was to get lawyers on board the effort to get Nigeria off the grey list of the Global Financial Action Task Force.

According to him, the taskforce is the global body that monitors financial transactions and the financial risks inherent in different jurisdictions.

He said, “The last evaluations of Nigeria’s risk clearly say Nigeria is one of the high-risk areas of money laundry, funding of terrorism, and proliferation of small arms, which underscores the challenges Nigeria is currently facing today and, therefore, they’ve made a handful of recommendations necessary to get Nigeria out of that high level vulnerability to these risks.

“While those risks subsist and Nigeria remains on this grey list, there would be very limited confidence in Nigeria, being able to participate with other global countries that mean well.  That’s why you will be surprised, when you want to use your debit card on an international website, it is not recognised.

“Other jurisdictions don’t honour our financial instruments because they think working with us exposes them to the same risks of money laundering, terrorism financing, amid all that you see with kidnapping and proliferation of small arms.”

President of NBA, Mr. Afam Osigwe, said the ability of lawyers to adhere to the highest ethical standards in giving services to the people was very important.

Osigwe stated, “While we may not achieve 100 per cent compliance level, we want to instil confidence in the public that we are interested in ensuring that members of the public adhere to the highest standard.

“We will also ensure that those who violate their Rules of Professional Conduct are brought to book because that’s the only way we can show the society that we have the capacity and the willingness to weed out those who give us a bad name.”

Head of Programme, RoLAC II, International IDEA, Mr. Danladi Plang, said the importance of seeking to increase transparency and accountability of anti-corruption systems and reforms could not be overemphasised, as it was regarded as fundamental to sustaining a democratic system of government.

Plang, who was represented by the State Project Coordinator, Abia State, RoLAC II, Mr. Peter Omenka, said the democratic system of governance comprised a network of interdependent actors and the performance of each actor was affected by the performance of others.

He stated, “Within the system, the legal practitioners are recognised to generally work to support progressive ideals whereby lawyers are expected to be sensitive and create a process to which democracy can flourish.

“It is relatively fair to acknowledge the unique role that lawyers play in the protection of rule of law within a limited sphere.

“The legal profession is often regarded as a catalyst for progressive reforms within the legal and societal frameworks of a nation. Legal professionals serve as the architects of the legal system, playing a pivotal role in refining and sustaining the democratic structures of governance.”

The head of programme further stated, “Issues such as misrepresentation of facts, fraud, exploitation of legal loopholes, deceit, and intimidation have marred the integrity of the profession. These unethical practices pose a significant threat to the legal system and must be addressed before they undermine its foundation.

“In Nigeria, instances of professional misconduct frequently go unchallenged, suggesting a more widespread prevalence of such behaviour.

“Over the years, there has been an increasing societal focus on the ethical conduct of legal professionals, emphasising the protection of individuals, clients, the courts, fellow practitioners, and the legal profession itself.”

Plang added that the “growing concern underscores the importance of upholding ethical standards in law. In response to this, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Chairman of the General Council of the Bar undertook a review of the Rules of Professional Conduct (2007), aiming to address global malpractice concerns and to ensure that the conduct of legal professionals reflects the highest ethical standards.

“Every society influences its ethical disciplinary culture and ensuring fairness and consistency in a disciplinary procedure promotes a progressive societal value for the public. It fosters positive cultures, encourages a fair and transparent approach to societal goals that promotes confidence and trust.

“What remains unenforceable and has limited the discipline of erring lawyers is the disciplinary procedure and this gap within the legal community remains a major challenge for the noble profession”.

Earlier, Communications Officer, International IDEA, Mukhtar Suleiman, in a media advisory, said the two-day national sensitisation event, scheduled to take place in Abuja, will serve as a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop, with participants from all 130 NBA branches, including branch chairpersons and leaders of the Young Lawyers’ Forum.