Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged legal professionals to remain steadfast in defending the rule of law, constitutional democracy, and the fundamental rights of citizens.
Governor Fubara said this at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme “Beyond Limits”.
Describing the legal system as the foundation of the relationship between government, public institutions and private organisations, the governor stressed that the ultimate purpose of law is to protect and advance the security and wellbeing of citizens.
He said this can be achieved by ensuring equality before the law, safeguarding fundamental human rights and creating an environment conducive to socio-economic activities and national development.
According to the governor,order, peace and meaningful human progress thrive where the law is treated as sovereign, warning that disregard for the sanctity of the rule of law, democracy and good governance could lead to social disorder.
He stated that the courts should not be viewed merely as venues for resolving disputes but as the ultimate refuge for citizens seeking justice.
He also urged judges to consider the wider implications of their judgments, noting that the quality of justice delivered with integrity has a direct connection with law and order and the pace of national development.
Gov Fubara advised judges not to become mere apologists or conformists, saying they must remain courageous as the ultimate guardians of democracy and good governance.
“As a layman, I am compelled to agree with the description of lawyers as the subtle nerves of the nation’s spine,” the Governor said.
He further charged lawyers to demonstrate courage whenever political power attempts to overreach the Constitution and the rule of law, stressing that the legal profession has a responsibility to prevent the abuse of power and protect democratic values.
Fubara said the greatest duty of a lawyer is to possess the conscience, commitment and courage to speak truth to power and defend the rights of citizens.
The governor who also spoke about his administration’s experience in Rivers State, said his government understands what it means to push beyond limits.
He said the administration had “walked through the furnace of power,” but remains unbowed in its determination to safeguard the unity, peace and progress of the state.
Fubara said the experience had further strengthened his administration’s resolve to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
He also highlighted his administration’s contributions to the development of the judiciary, saying that in the past three years, his government had worked with the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, to expand access to justice through the appointment of more judges and the establishment of additional courts.
The governor disclosed that the state government had also constructed a Federal High Court facility which, he said, would soon be handed over to the Federal High Court.
He pledged his administration’s continued commitment to the administrative and financial autonomy of the judiciary in Rivers State adding that his government had taken deliberate steps to improve the security and welfare of judges,
Gov Fubara Charges Legal Practitioners On Rule of Law, Fundamental Human Rights
