“Tuma Gento Jabbi is the Favourite Choice For Bar Association Prexy” … Lawyers Assert
Giving their testimonies at the auspicious grand declaration ceremony of the Would-be President of the Bar Association, Mrs. Tuma Adama Gento Kamara(nee Jabbi), many lawyers both senior and junior have thrown their unwavering support for the latter to become the next President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association President, stressing on her credibility and integrity and what she has done to impact many lives within and beyond the legal profession.
“Madam Tuma Gento Jabbi is woman of valor, integrity, stature, panache, pedigree, and above all supportive. She is a woman with an open-door policy, who, has impacted many lives and supported many people in diverse ways.
She possesses all the leadership traits that the Bar Association is looking for”, said many of the lawyers who have crossed path with Madam Tuma Gento Jabbi.
Tuma Gento Jabbi is a prominent lawyer and daughter of the renowned Constitutional lawyer, Dr Bu-Buakei Jabbi.
During her declaration to run for the position of President of the SierraLeone Bar Association, Tuma Gento Kamara, under the theme “raise the Bar” outlined her vision to elevate the Bar Association to a higher height and make it as an enviable entity for all and sundry.
Her campaign promises to elevate the standards within the legal profession, empower legal practitioners, and address welfare concerns for members of the Bar.
Drawing inspiration from her father’s legacy and her own fourteen years of experience as a legal practitioner, she highlighted her contributions to legal education, including the introduction of the Tax/Revenue Law module at Fourah Bay College in 2014, which has impacted hundreds of students.
Central to her vision is the concept of “Standards, Empowerment, and Welfare” (#SEW), which she believes are interconnected and essential for the advancement of the legal profession in Sierra Leone.
When Elected as President, Tuma Gento, pledges to secure a suitable land for the Association and build a state-of-the-art edifice for the Secretariat of the Bar Association. Tuma Adama Jabbi outlined concrete plans to raise standards within the legal profession, including the introduction of clerkships as part of pupillage to provide support for judges and senior magistrates. She also proposed the operationalization of the Legal Practitioner’s Privileges Committee to recognize deserving senior advocates, thereby fostering respect for the legal profession.
Furthermore, she stressed on the importance of empowerment, advocating for continuous legal education (CLE) and scholarship opportunities to capacitate legal practitioners in various areas of law.
She expressed her commitment to exploring internship opportunities with international bodies to broaden the exposure of SLBA members to international legal practice.
Addressing welfare concerns, Tuma Adama Jabbi acknowledged the need for a permanent Bar Secretariat and pledged to secure suitable land for its construction. She also proposed the establishment of a private pension scheme in collaboration with NASSIT to support retired members of the Bar, emphasizing the importance of collective action and solidarity within the legal fraternity.
Tuma Adama Jabbi debunked the myth that pursuing high ethical standards and advancing human rights are mutually exclusive, asserting that the SLBA can simultaneously elevate standards while defending constitutionalism and human rights.
Conclusively, Tuma Adama-Gento Jabbi humbly appealed for support from SLBA members, promising to build upon the progress made under the outgoing president’s leadership and lead the association towards a future where it serves as a beacon of hope, positive change, and justice for all.
