By Ameachi Prosper
Asaba: No fewer than 120 lawyers in Delta state are currently undergoing trial for alleged professional misconduct. 
The trial of the lawyers is coming on the heels when judges are being probed for alleged financial inducement, among others
The sate Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro who confirmed trial of the lawyers to reporters on Friday in Asaba, said the alleged offenders are being handled by Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), an organ of the body benchers of Nigeria.
Explaining that he was not against petitions of merit against judicial officers, Justice Umukoro frowned at lawyers who had formed the habit of writing frivolous petitions, only to withdraw same no sooner than the proceeding commented.
His words “I am not against the petitions of merit against judicial officers who breach the code of conduct judicial for officers, but I will not be happy to see frivolous petitions by lawyers, some are withdrawn before proceeding commences”
Insisting that over the years lawyers in the state have formed the habit writing petitions that are never proven, the State Chief Judge disclosed that lawyers currently standing trials would be given fair hearing by the committee, adding that the innovation expectedly, is the invaluable role of the lawyers as well as the ongoing sanity in the legal system.
Meanwhile, the state Chief Judge has charged law students of the state origin to imbibe the virtue of honesty; humility and hard work to enable them succeed in their chosen career and become better citizens.
NGO Commends Govt on Ban of Hand Saw Operators
In another development, forum of Delta State Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has commended the state government for the ban on hand saw operators in the state and enforcing forestry laws to protect forests and designed forest reserves in parts of the state.
The position of the forum was contained in a press statement issued and endorsed by Okezi Odugala and Greg Osamenjor, a copy made available to our reporter, frowned at the unsustainable deforestation that had been going on in the state from the activities of environmentally unfriendly, profiteering timber merchants and cronies within and outside the state.
The forum noted that the was already suffering severe environmental devastations from the activities of oil and gas exploring and exploiting firms and the additional environmental assault from exploitative timber merchants with no regard forestry protection regulations and laws would impede the implementation of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 15, which deal with combating climate change and its impacts and the protection, restoration and promotion of sustainable use.
