Pastor Under Fire for Billboard Featuring Him in Legal Regalia
A prominent lawyer and human rights activist, Emperor Ogbonna, has strongly criticized a church billboard in Aba that features a pastor dressed in full legal regalia.
The large billboard, located at Seven-Up Junction in Ogbor Hill, Aba, has sparked debate over its appropriateness and potential ethical violations.
Describing the billboard as “shameful” and “unacceptable,” Ogbonna questioned the pastor’s decision to prominently display his status as a lawyer alongside his religious calling. He argued that such an act constitutes professional misconduct, as legal ethics prohibit lawyers from wearing their official robes outside court proceedings.
“What has being a lawyer got to do with being a pastor?” Ogbonna asked. “Is he going to defend sinners on judgment day?”
The lawyer further called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take action against what he described as a clear violation of professional ethics. He emphasized that the public display of a lawyer’s robe and wig in a non-legal setting, such as a church advertisement, is inappropriate and misleading.
“Was he not at the law school and studied Professional Ethics as a course?” Ogbonna continued. “Is he saying that when you come to his church, the law will visit you, or that he will defend sinners as a lawyer on judgment day?”
The controversial billboard has ignited discussions among legal professionals and religious communities, with many questioning the boundaries between one’s professional and spiritual identity. It remains to be seen whether the NBA will respond to the call for disciplinary action.
