For the sake of justice, lawyers should pick up some cases free of charge – Ben Okoh
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Wednesday, May 7, 2008

For Barrister Ben Okoh, the principal of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Refugee Rights International, the term, refugee, does not apply only to those who are displaced by war or threat to human life. It applies to all those who, through circumstances beyond their control found themselves unable to afford the steps to secure their fundamental human rights.
According to Okoh, who is also the principal partner in Okoh and Okoh law firm, Asaba, even without being displaced by war, one could still be a refugee.

He posited that though running a law firm is not a charity organisation, lawyers could, for the sake of justice, engage some cases free of charge to help humanity assess one of the primary requisite of their fundamental rights.

The human rights activist spoke with Daily Sun recently.

Refugee Right International
Refugee Right International, (RRI) is an affiliate body of Nelson Mandela Foundation. It is involved in human rights activity, united in the cause of man to fight for the right of those who have been displaced on account of war, ignorance or man’s inhumanity to man. The term refugee, does not apply only to those who are displaced by war or hurricane. It has a broad-based application to all facets of human displacement, sudden or otherwise, including resultant effect of force majeure, (act of God).

Legal service without charges
The reason why I decided to defend the less-priviledge without collecting a dime is that when I travelled outside Nigeria, I see how the laws are tailored in other countries, especially, European countries, to defend the citizens of those countries, irrespective of social status. In some countries, even before you graduate from college, you are already aware of your rights and how it can be secured. You know that you don’t have to be a big man before your fundamental human rights is secured. But here, you find that the law could sometime be made to work only for the rich, the successful, the powerful, then one wonders where the poor, the not-so-rich gets justice when they feel aggrieved.

Fulfilment
For me, being a lawyer has been quite fulfilling. It has offered me numerous opportunities to reach out to the helpless and play a little ‘god.’ When you listen to some briefs, you wonder at man’s inhumanity to man. Such things actually make you feel ready to take on the world to ameliorate the pains of these people. There was this case of a young girl of six, a child, defiled by a 45-years old man, and the parents of the girl felt helpless to take the case to the law because they had no money to prosecute the case. I felt embittered.

Look at the rampant cases of intimidation in many organsations. Imagine a girl being intimidated by a lecturer to submits to sexual liaison before she can pass her examination and she feels that she has to endure it because there is nothing to do. I feel sorry for our graduates, especially the female. Imagine all they go through to get higher qualification, only to get thrown into the harsh labour market that has no sympathy for your sex, status and needs.

Yet, there is no social welfare programme in place by the government. It is a pity that such graduates can’t go to court because our constitution has no provision for that. I feel sorry for the man, who due to the carelessness of the Power Holding company of Nigeria, (PHCN), his refrigerator or any type of electronic destroyed and yet, he can’t go to court to seek redress. I feel sorry for someone who was killed in his home because someone did not do what he should do and the victim of such careless ness on the path of a distinct entity could not do anything about it because he could not afford the legal fees.

Advice to fellow lawyers
I call on lawyers not to see their practice as strictly on cash and carry basis. In life, you sometimes have to take with the right hand and give with the left. Life comes at you both ways. So, if in the course of your work, you can help anyone reverse injustice, please do not hesitate to go after it, in doing so, you will reap of the grace you have kindly sow in the life of that person. In this country, too many people are suffering in silence because they don’t have the power or money to fight their cause.

We must help in creating a better society for humanity. We nurse the hope that this society will be strong enough to sustain better life for our children. In the same way, we must help the society, try to give something back to it to enable it be strong enough to sustain our hope in future.

.