“Offer free legal services to the poor,” Chaplain Tells Catholic lawyers in Nigeria

Abuja, 18 September, 2019 / 11:06 PM

The need to provide legal services to people with limited means in society has been the highlight at the inauguration of the Karu Deanery chapter of the Catholic Lawyers Association of Nigeria (CLAN).

“I urge you members of this association to dedicate part of your time to offering legal services to the poor,” the chaplain of CLAN, Fr. Paul Eze told the members at the Holy Emmanuel Parish, Abuja.

The priest, who is also a lawyer, regretted the fact that the rich have taken advantage of the vulnerable state of the poor to unleash injustices on them saying “many of these individuals (the rich) use their money and positions to commit injustices against the poor.”

“It is necessary for Catholic lawyers to defend the poor against the rich and the powerful,” Fr. Eze pleaded.

The Father also advised the faithful to seek legal services from CLAN, who he disclosed would soon begin prison visitations to facilitate the release of some prisoners.

Barr. Tony Onum, the Deanery Coordinator of CLAN in Karu, promised that their institution would avail pro bono legal services to members of the Catholic Church whenever the need arose.

Onum lamented the public perception in Nigeria that lawyers are liars and therefore notorious sinners and encouraged the faithful to seek the assistance of Catholic lawyers.

“We are just like every other Christian seeking the grace and mercy of God,” Onum said and added, “I urged the congregation to trust the Catholic lawyers and bring their problems to them.”