Corporate Profile of PAOPILC

PROF AMARI OMAKA PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CLINIC   -Rights watch & access to justice for all
14, Ojeawere  Street, by Brakenbury street                                         
2^nd Floor, Right Wing, Abakaliki Ebonyi State Nigeria                                                          
Web: http://publicinterestlawclinic2-org.blogspot.com                                                                               
Email: publicinterestlaw.org@gmail.com                                                      
Phone: +2348064774016                                             

                             Profile of the   Organisation

Background                                                                                                                                                                                                     Today, so many Nigerians are suffering neglect, deprivation and abuse due to poverty, little or no knowledge of their legal rights and lack of access to justice. Those who have idea of denial of their rights cannot afford legal services, especially in a state like Ebonyi State where 90% of the population are peasant farmers and artisans. For them to hire the services of a lawyer a lot of money is needed, hence most of the people just die in silence as they are regularly denied access to their household property, human dignity and sense of livelihood. Regrettably, therefore, the indigent and the less privileged do not have access to justice because of poverty. To bring the point home, as at today, an average legal practitioner’s fee in Nigeria to commence one single case is about N500, 000 (i.e. about $3,500 for a start), while the current minimum wage is about $100 a month. Having lived in Ebonyi State, the operational base of PAOPILC, for many years, it is not in doubt that an average Nigerian cannot afford 10% of such fees even if his/her one year earning is put together.

Evidence of lack of access to justice as a result of poverty can be seen from the growing number of widows and orphans sent out of their husband/fathers homes at the death of the breadwinner for one flimsy excuse or the other. Cases of pre-trail detainees in Nigeria prisons are alarming! For example, our findings in Abakaliki and Afikpo prisons reveal that 80% of about 1400 detainees are detained because they have no lawyer to speak for them, and some detained because, they have no money to pay paltry fines which courts have awarded for their freedom, and many women and children are detained in wrong facilities. That is why we have taken up this challenge to help the indigent and the less privileged gain access to justice. PAOPILC is a novel idea which I believe well meaning organisations, corporate bodies, the government and philanthropists should encourage as the culture of free legal representation is alien to most legal practitioners in Nigeria.

Who are we?

Prof Amari Omaka Public Interest Law Clinic (PAOPILC) is a Non Governmental Organisation with the principal objective of serving the interest of the helpless and needy. We are poised to support and implement the protection and the rights of vulnerable people and the indigent of the society. Other components of the organisation are to provide free legal services to the indigent and the less privileged people because most poor people do not have the resources to bring an action to court. This is against the background that most lawyers do not provide free legal services to their clients. We provide free legal aid services for the indigent and vulnerable groups like widows, rural women, the handicapped and other less privileged people of the society. PAOPILC is task oriented and driven by people with a common interest that performs variety of services and humanitarian functions by providing free street law advocacy and ancillary legal aid services for the indigent. Similarly, PAOPILC supports and implements the protection of the rights of the vulnerable people. It has windows of partnership with local and international development oriented organisations across the globe.

What is our Mission Statement?

To support and implement the protection of the rights of vulnerable people and the indigent and  to provide free legal services to the indigent and less privileged of the society so as to enhance access to justice.

What is our Vision?

To have a society where the rights of all citizens guaranteed by the law are protected and where all citizens have access to justice notwithstanding their station in life.

What are the objectives of PAOPILC?

1.   To protect the rights of, and provide free legal aid / pro bono services to the indigent and the less privileged.

2.      To support and implement the protection of the rights of vulnerable people.

3.  To eradicate poverty through her street law programmes and empowerment through courtroom representation and redressing injustices done to the poor.

4.      To enhance the access to justice and promote the rule of law.

5.   To encourage political participation through provision of citizenship/civic education and street law advocacy programmes.

Who are the principal staff of PAOPILC?

The President: Professor Amari Omaka C, LL.B, BL. LL.M, PhD was trained in Nigeria’s choices universities (University of Nigeria, Nsukka and University of Lagos). He was called to the bar as a Barrister and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, after his post qualification training at the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island Lagos, about two decades ago. He also received special training on Clinical Legal Education (CLE) and Street Law in Durban, South Africa and Valencia, Spain. He is the founding Director of Clinical Legal Education/Law Clinic, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria. He has varied experiences in all aspects of the legal profession -the bar, the bench and academia; and has attended and delivered academic papers in several international conferences in Africa, Europe, Asia and America. He is a member of Board, NULAI-Nigeria and belongs to international CLE associations such as GAJE, CLEO and ILEA. He teaches International Environmental Law, International Human Rights Law, Introduction to Law Practice/Criminal Justice Procedure and clinically oriented courses. In addition, he has been actively involved as a resource person in training law teachers on CLE and curriculum design / Law Clinic establishment in many universities. Apart from being the founder and President of Prof Amari Omaka Public Interest Law Clinic (PAOPILC) for rendering free legal aid services to the poor, vulnerable groups and physically challenged persons; he is also the Founder/President of Greenbelt Africa Initiative, which a NGO that ensures environmental conservation, health and sustainable development. His contacts are: mobile: +2348064774016; email: amariomaka@gmail.com

Programme officer: Barr. Olaleye Elizabeth Olayemi LL.B, BL is a graduate of the University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. She was called to the bar as a Barrister and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, after her Post qualification training at the Nigerian Law School Abuja Campus. She also had Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training in 2011. She is currently working as the Programme  Officer (legal) Prof Amari Omaka Public Interest Law Clinic (PAOPILC) whose sole aim is to render free legal aid services to the poor, vulnerable groups and physically challenged persons. She is also a member of Greenbelt Africa Initiative, an NGO that ensures environmental conservation, health and sustainable development. Her contacts are: mobile: +2348069695343, +2348081036160; email address: creamyemmy05@yahoo.com 

Legal Officer: Barr. Kyaayough Doose, LL.B, BL is a graduate of the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki. She was called to the Nigerian bar as a Barrister and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, after her Post qualification training at the Nigerian Law School Kano Campus. She is a trained law clinician. While in the University she was actively involved in clinic and access to justice activities. She has unbridled passion for human rights and public defence; hence she was an active member of the Corps Legal Aid, Minna, where she was involved in prison decongestion especially for pre-trial detainees. Contact her with +2348030801299, email: talk2doose@yahoo.com 

Mobilisation Officer: Mrs Lois Nnenna Omaka, Dip. Health Edu., B.Sc. M.ed, Ph.D (in view). Lois is a graduate of University of Nigeria Nsukka. She is a consultant in maternal and child health (advocacy and policy) and Public Health law consultant. She is a lecturer in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki. She has received training from UNICEF special train-the-trainer programmes, and worked as mobilisation officer in the Health Department of Akaeze Local Government, and Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and some grassroots NGOs. Her contact is:  +2348037911988

Admin Secretarial Assistant: Miss Offor Christiana Onyekachi. Diploma Computer Science at Decimal IT technology. Has high proficiency in Ms Word, Ms Excel, Ms PowerPoint and Corel Draw and similar word and graphic software.  Mobile: +2348167687880

Admin Assistant: Miss Ndidi Amadi. West African School Certificate and Certificate in office management. Mobile: +234812342345

Meet PAOPILC volunteers

Sam Ohia Egwu LL.B (Hons), B.L,  (LL.M in view),  Jonathan Onugha LL.B (Hons), B.L, (LL.M in view), Agbo Ikechukwu LL.B (Hons), B.L, (LL.M in view), Rose Celestine Nwali (Mrs) LL.B (Hons), Ezinne Orji , LL.B (Hons), Obini John, LL.B (Hons), Ivoke Hezekiah LL.B (Hons), Ekwe Emmanuel (Para-legal/Law Clinician), Alo Amauche Solomon (Para-legal/Law Clinician), Alo Francis (Para-legal/Law Clinician)

Collaboration partners

Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI-Nigeria), Ebonyi State University Law Clinic, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, EBBC Abakaliki and Radio Nigeria, Unity FM Abakaliki

Our appeal        

We are seeking the sponsorship, support and partnership of donor agencies in the area of human rights, poverty eradication and protection/defence of vulnerable groups and criminal justice administration, in this free legal representation and advocacy project. Send your cheque or donations to the President, Prof Amari Omaka @ Account no 2000531173, Zenith Bank Ogoja Road Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

How can you support or partner with PAOPILC?

You can partner with us by bank-rolling either our 5-years capital budget or our 2012 1-year recurrent budgets. Or better still making annual subventions to the organisation to help us serve humanity.  YOU CAN ALSO INVITE US TO SUBMIT SOLICITED PROPOSALS TO YOUR ORGANISATION.

What rewards are there for partners and donors?

Those who partner with us and contribute to our cause in rendering service to the poor and vulnerable groups financially and through concrete donations are rewarded as follows:

1.       You will be a recipient of friend of the poor award

2.       Your names would be published in our newsletter as donors to the cause of the needy

3.       Publication of names of major donors (N500.000 and over) in our Roll of Fame

4.       Your name will always be publicized in our radio and TV Programmes (except were the donor elects otherwise)

5.       You will have inner joy for lending a helping hand to the poor

6.       You will  receive God’s blessings for  fulfilling one of His major command to his people (He that Gives to the poor is lending unto the Lord)