Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, has described law as one of Nigeria’s lowest professions in response to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
VeryDarkMan was invited to participate in a panel session on insecurity at the conference, where he discussed his experiences and perspectives on the security concerns facing Nigerians.
His appearance, however, drew criticism from several members of the legal community, who questioned his invitation and participation in the event.
In a video posted on social media on Friday, the activist responded to the reaction by stating that he attended the conference to speak on behalf of underprivileged Nigerians and those without a voice.
“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 many people were uncomfortable with his presence among lawyers.
“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he added.
VeryDarkMan then turned his criticism on the legal profession, denying assertions that law was still a noble vocation.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
“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 trained lawyers in Nigeria were unemployed or unable to practise, 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.
“Because we never talk about it. Law is one of the most broke professions. One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”
Speaking on the employment prospects of lawyers, VeryDarkMan said, “How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”
He also criticized the Nigerian Law School for continuing to graduate thousands of attorneys despite what he saw as the profession’s limited chances.
“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 added.
VeryDarkMan’s comments came as a response to his attendance at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, where he spoke about insecurity and other concerns impacting Nigerians.
His invitation to the conference has already sparked criticism from lawyers and others of the public.
