Godsent Ogbebor
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has said the legal profession is no longer noble in Nigeria.
VeryDarkMan made the statement while reacting to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, where he participated in a panel discussion on insecurity and issues affecting Nigerians.
His appearance at the conference drew reactions from some lawyers who questioned the decision to invite him to the gathering.
Reacting to the criticism in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, VeryDarkMan said he attended the conference to speak for Nigerians who, according to him, do not have a platform to express their concerns.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.
He also questioned why some members of the legal profession were uncomfortable with his presence at the conference.
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“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he added.
Speaking about the legal profession, VeryDarkMan rejected the view that law remains a noble profession in Nigeria.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
He added, “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.”
The activist also argued that many lawyers struggle to secure employment or practise after completing their training, describing law as one of the poorest professions in the country.
“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,” he said.
“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”
VeryDarkMan further questioned the number of people graduating from the Nigerian Law School despite what he described as limited opportunities in the profession.
“And every year, they say they have people graduating from law school. Four thousand have graduated from law school, only to end up selling bedsheets,” he said.
His comments followed reactions to his appearance at the NBA conference, where he was invited to contribute to discussions on insecurity and challenges facing Nigerians.
