The High Powered Committee consisting of the soundest minds in the Legal profession constituted by the NBA President to look into the crisis in the Judiciary was inaugurated on the 25^th of February 2011. The Inauguration which was held at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja was chaired by the 2^nd Vice President Justy Osas Erhabor on behalf of the President of the NBA Joseph Bodunrin Daudu SAN who was unavoidably absent.

The Committee was charged with terms of reference as follows:

(i)   CJN/PCA faceoff.

(ii) Debilitating corruption eating into and corroding the entire judicial system.

(iii)  Legal practitioners who promote corruption in a variety of ways in the system.

The President of the NBA in his speech also mandated the committee to deal with any matter ancillary or incidental to the foregoing.

On the question of the NBA’s right to investigate matters of the Judiciary, the President stated that all Judges were once Lawyers and would remain Lawyers after being Judges and the NBA takes a keen interest in all its constituencies. He further stated that the NBA independently seeks to promote the interest of its members which is synonymous with the Rule of Law, Good Governance, an Independent Judiciary, an independent Bar, and the sustenance of fundamental rights for the citizenry and sound economic system for Nigeria and with a membership of over 70,000 lawyers, whose activities impact on the lives of millions of Nigerians, the NBA according to the President has the locus to ensure that the legal profession is not by commission or omission rubbished by external or internal activities.

Chairman of the Committee and former President of the NBA Chief T.J.O Okpoko SAN accepted the call to duty on behalf of members of the Committee and stated in his acceptance that only an independent body like the NBA could look into matters concerning the Judiciary. He asked that the committee be given all the attention it required for it to carry out its duties effectively. He said that though the committee was expected to hand in its report by the 30^th of April, it would not for the sake of speed neglect any part of its mandate.

The committee held its inaugural meeting immediately after its inauguration.