Over 1000 new lawyers to join the Bar - Bar President

The President of the Cameroon Bar Council, Barrister Francis Sama Asanga, has disclosed that over 1000 new Lawyers will be absorbed into the Cameroon Bar this year.

He made this declaration to The SUN on the sidelines of a ceremony to present the new executive of the Meme Lawyers Association,MELA that took place at the Kumba City Council Banquet Hall,Saturday October 11, 2014.

He declared that the oral results of the just written entrance examination into the Cameroonian Bar,will be released in 72 hours,especially as he will be meeting with the Minister of State,Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seal in the days ahead,for the signing of the results for it to be sent to the press for publication. First in the history of the Bar,the President said, over 3000 candidates sat for the exams and 1879 passed the written part.

Hear him: “I’m the president of the jury and I speak with full authority that in the next few days everything being equal, you know the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference took away the attention of alot of state authorities. Everything being okay,this Tuesday or Wednesday the results will be sent to the Press.”

Barrister Samaopined that he is very happy,proud and encouraged with the performance of all the candidates and that as secrecy of the deliberation he cannot unveil the exact number that passed the exams but knows that over 1000 performed well.

As he wished the President of the Bar hinted that all the candidates came from all over the country especially from the Northern East and South Regions where there are no Lawyers. He said candidates from Meme,Fako and the Northwest performed exceedingly well. He announced that the Bar will be written after two years with at least 1000 lawyers churned out so that they can meet up since Cameroon needs at least 10000 Lawyers for the over 20million Cameroonians.

On Corruption allegations The President of the Cameroon Bar Council dispelled allegations that the examinations were characterized by corruption,influence peddling,favoritism and malpractices. He said that Bar exams was the most transparent and, credible exams in the recent past in the country. Though he heard stories about such happenings, there was no influence peddling in the exams he said. Hear him: “”I like to say am not being self-praiseworthy.

Those who know me, know that you cannot buy my conscience and my duty and obligation, is to get only the best, and I said that, only those who get 12/20 will pass where ever you come from’ ‘He continued that recently, Cameroonians have lost their consciences and see money everywhere. He regretted that one can buy everything with money, but as he puts it, “ the Bar is a liberal profession and those who come in have to work hard to make it.

The President observed that he has no interest and no reason to have allowed for any malpractice. He hinted that he is a staunched professional disciplinarian and a parent. He even went further to disclose that even his daughter,took part in the exams and she has no favouritism and moreover up till now she doesn’t know her results.

The Bar President however challenged anybody who has evidence of malpractice,corruption and influence peddling to go to the press and declare it,but that person should know that if he doesn’t succeed to support it then the entire BAR will be at his neck.

BAR Elections Billed for January 2015 Initially schedule to take place later this year, and precisely in Buea, Barrister Sama Francis announced during the MELA come together that,the Elective General Assembly of the Bar will rather take place in Yaoundé on January 21, 2015 at the Red Cross Hall.He said that, a communiqué to this effect jointly endorsed by the President of the General Assembly of the Bar and the President of the Bar Council will be made public in the days ahead.

He opined that the change is due to the fact that during the period initially arrived at previewed meeting venue in Buea and other places will be occupied as the findings have shown and more he will in the days be going round the country to personally participate in the swearing-in-and oath taking of the new pupil advocates whose results will be released this Wednesday.

Meanwhile the President of the Bar Council who was accompanied to Kumba by the President of the General Assembly of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Emmanuel Tang, and a power Bar Council delegation to wit: Barristers Charles Njualem, Divine Nzoh Mbokeh, and Ngoulla Fotso.

The President of the Fako Lawyers Association (FAKLA), BarristerAjong Stanislaus also led a delegation from Fako.

The new MELA Executive headed Barrister Awutah Philip was installed amidst applause and plaudits.

Barrister Sama hailed the new team for having placed as their priority the construction of a secretariat which is first of its kind in the entire Republic.

He on behalf of the Bar Council promised their maximum support for the project financially.MELA’s President Barrister Awutah Philip on behalf of Meme Lawyers endorsed and promised the full support of MELA to Barrister Sama Francis and Tang Emmanuel.

He said they should be rest assured that Meme will throw its weight and vote them when the elective General Assembly of the BAR will be announced.

At the end of the day the ground breaking ceremony that was witnessed by a powerful delegation from some Fons of the North West Region and graced by traditional dances and choral music saw about FCFA 2.5 million raised in cash and pledges to support the MELA secretariat project.