Humans Are Not Entirely Saints. "Every human, no matter how highly placed, will behave like students when placed in a typical classroom setting.
If the leadership of the Bar had straightened out the order of distributing conference materials in a manner that was less dehumanizing and seamless at the concluded Annual General Conference, there would never have been any furore or violent eruptions leading to the ceaseless trolling of Lawyers as common bag and phone thieves and violent disruptions in my country Nigeria
A Professor of Strategic Management at a conference of African Vice-chancellors once made the above statement to the array of Vice-chancellors at a conference in South Africa.
After a while, he told them there was insufficient conference materials and the gifts available (wads of cash and meal tickets) cannot go round, but the conferees should however remain orderly and patient whilst they file out to pick the available conference materials.
Your guess is as good as mine. Accomplished Professors at the very apogee of their profession and at the peak of their career as Vice-chancellors and Provosts of institutions of higher learning began to climb over themselves to pick bags that contained conference materials, free books and a few wads of dollars and meal tickets.
His entreaties that the package was indeed enough fell on deaf ears, till he in fact showed them the overflow of the same materials, did the commotion created appear to subside.
He then drew the important lesson with the experiment and the lessons were learnt.
It is thus our responsibility as leaders to create the enabling environment for orderliness, propriety and proper planning and watch everyone fall in line, rather than create an atmosphere of chaos or a typical classroom setting, whilst bemoaning the target audience for behaving like typical students with the attendant commotion and the annoying noise created.
It is against this background that I view the disruption experienced by members of the noble legal profession, where I proudly belong.
When you do not make adequate provision, proper arrangement devoid of cumbersomeness and disorderliness, impatience will ensue and commotion will arise, irrespective of the education, professionalism and presumed dignity and nobility of the people involved.
I am yet to see educated humans refusing to align with easy order devoid of endless queues and disruption. Imagine that the conference materials were placed with names and tags of the Professors on or under their table prior to arrival, there would have been no table-climbing and violent jostle for them even by accomplished Professors.
Thus, if the leadership of the Bar had straightened out the order of distributing conference materials in a manner that was less dehumanising and seamless at the concluded Annual General Conference, there would never have been any furore or violent eruptions leading to the ceaseless trolling of Lawyers as common bag and phone thieves and violent disruptors.
Beyond this, my criminological perspective to this as a University Teacher of Criminology also suggests that whilst Education generally suppresses animalistic tendencies in man
It is no conclusive proof that your being educated or learned will cleanse you fully of criminal acts or absolve you totally from descent into immoral or criminal conducts.
Educating a basic criminal mind might however make such a basic criminal a more sophisticated criminal. This is the downside of the reformatory school of thought as against the punitive school of thought which believes in punishing the criminal, to serve as an eradication of criminality strategy and as deterrence to others, rather than educating criminals with a view to reforming them.
This viewpoint believes a trained criminal mind never changes, but finds cleverer ways of committing crime. This is apart from recidivists and habitual criminals who will always go back to crime even after punishment, irrespective of their professional calling.
Thus, a petty thief who read law can steal pilfer phones if no one is watching, whilst a pick pocket trained with a view to reformation, can graduate into a prolific fraudster or heist mastermind with an attendant professional training.
This is how otherwise pick pockets who find themselves in high offices transmogrify and become prominent pen robbers and emblems of political corruption.
This is why National Assembly members still jump fences, throw chairs and matchet one another with the maze in spite of being 'Honourable' members.
An Accountant General or an Attorney General that steal billions would take your phone if he was not yet appointed to such high office and no one is watching.
Your opportunity determines what you steal. This is why some Lawyers can still be tried for crimes as basic as converting their clients' funds into their private wallets.
This is why even your professional colleague can still steal your phone and laptop at the Law school or at a conference when the opportunity presents itself or they are exposed to a typical 'classroom setting'.
Jesus chose twelve disciples and still chose a Judas. Humans are not entirely saints. Cutting corners come naturally to a depraved mind.
In any case, not only Lawyers were at the conference, there were non-Lawyers, artisans, drivers, food vendors, bouncers, ushers, even touts were allowed into the venue, so there is no conclusive proof that missing phones were indeed stolen by Lawyers.
As for the online trolling received so far, it is important not to forget that Lawyers are some of the most admired, yet detested set of professionals in Nigeria and the world.
Many people feel Lawyers are unduly proud and special- always calling themselves the only learned ones as if they are better than everyone, whilst every other person is simply educated.
They presumably do so little and earn so much. Don't forget the array of wounded Lawyers who wanted to study Law, but ended up studying English Arts, Philosophy, Political science and Jumpology.
The beef and pain is eternal. This slip is therefore a golden opportunity to take a jibe and swipe at a people they can neither resemble nor become.
Sorry guys. Drink water and drop the cup. You are still not Lawyers. If you feel NURTW is more organised than Lawyers and as such better than us, simply join them and pray and wish your children end up as members of their association.
As for the former NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, a man I have tremendous respect for, I sincerely wish he had not granted that Press Interview in the fist of fury and with such a stockpile of emotions.
He was visibly pained by the act, hence, the outburst. Even if your mum is a witch, it is not supposed to be heard from you. Washing your dirty linen in public will only make the public know how dirty you are. Discretion is the only proof of your high, 'learned' education. We should all learn it.
Imagine trolls asking clients to keep their phones safe around their Lawyers, lest they steal them. Not fair. This too shall pass, some other set of professionals will soon take the fall. Doctors- Are you there? We will all eat our breakfast, but only at different times.
Written By Tosin Ayo -The Word Bank.