Stop Inviting African Dictators, Falana Faults NBA Over George Weah Invitation

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association over its decision to invite former Liberian President George Weah to address its annual conference.

Falana accused Weah’s administration of undermining judicial independence in Liberia and questioned the appropriateness of inviting the former president to speak to Nigerian lawyers about democracy and the rule of law.

The senior lawyer made the remarks in a video posted on the NBA’s YouTube channel on Monday, following Weah’s keynote address at the association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Falana appealed to the NBA leadership to stop inviting what he described as “dictators in Africa” to address members of the Nigerian legal profession.

He alleged that during Weah’s administration, which lasted from 2018 to 2024, Liberia’s judiciary was compromised to the extent that citizens sought legal redress outside the country through the ECOWAS Court.

Falana cited the case involving the Mandingo people, whose landed properties were allegedly seized during the Liberian civil war. According to him, the ECOWAS Court ruled in their favour, but Weah allegedly refused to comply with the judgment.

He said the current Liberian government under President Joseph Boakai had established a committee to enforce the judgment.

The senior lawyer also referred to the case of a former associate justice of Liberia’s Supreme Court who was allegedly removed from office without justification. Falana said the ECOWAS Court overturned the dismissal, awarded the judge $200,000 and ordered his reinstatement, but alleged that Weah’s administration failed to comply.

Falana further accused the former Liberian administration of allowing drug trafficking to flourish in the country, making additional claims about the alleged arrest of Weah’s former vice president over drug-trafficking allegations.

He questioned why Weah was invited to speak to Nigerian lawyers despite the allegations surrounding his administration.

Falana suggested that the NBA should instead invite African leaders and statesmen with stronger records on democracy and the rule of law.

Weah, during his keynote address, had urged lawyers and judges to remain impartial and uphold justice in the discharge of their responsibilities.