FCT HIGH COURT

EXCLUSIVE: ‘WHY NEW NBA BRANCHES HAVEN’T TAKEN OFF,’ BY AKPATA

Immediate past Nigerian Bar Assocaition (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata has declared that the three new branches created by the NBA National Executive Council last June could not take off due to technical issues.

Akpata told CITY LAWYER in an exclusive interview that the branches were approved “in-principle” by NBA-NEC and subject to the creation of judicial divisions in the domains by the Judiciary.

He stated that the new branches could not take off until incumbent NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN issues a directive to that effect.

According to the erstwhile NBA helmsman, “NEC approved the new branches subject to the creation of judicial divisions in those areas. The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has delivered on his commitment in that regard. We are now waiting for the Chief Judge of Lagos State to fulfill his commitment, too.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that former NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro SAN had on September 9, 2018 launched the Nyanya Judicial Division of the court, paving way for the take-off of the NBA Nyanya/Karu Branch. However, the new “branch” or Nyanya/karu Lawyers Forum has been embroiled in a leadership tussle between two factions.

Five members of the forum had dragged its factional Chairman, Mr. Austine Ibolo to Chief Magistrate Court Karu following a Direct Criminal Complaint application, accusing him of criminal Misappropriation contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code. The application was signed by Mr. Festus Osimhen and brought pursuant to Section 110(1)C, 88(1) and 89(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. It was unclear whether Ibolo was eventually arraigned following the complaint.

The members had also accused Ibolo of being a ‘sit-tight leader, adding that while he was elected as Chairman of the forum for 2019-2021 election cycle, he has refused to leave office, claiming that the tenure of NBA chairmen ends in September.

CITY LAWYER gathered that the fierce fire-fight between the factions may have discouraged Akpata from issuing the all-important letter to convoke the new branch.

It was also gathered that it was on the strength of the firm commitments by the respective chief judges to create the relevant judicial divisions that Akpata canvassed establishment of the new branches by NBA-NEC.

The Chief Judge of the High Court of FCT has now created the Garki Judicial Division of the court which is to be unveiled on October 6, 2022, paving the way for the take-off of NBA Garki Branch.

All eyes are now on the Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba to also fulfill his commitment to create the Yaba/Surulere Judicial Division to enable take-off of the new NBA Surulere Branch. This will set the stage for NBA President to issue a directive for the inauguration of the branches.

It is recalled that the National Executive Council had during its quarterly meeting in Ilorin approved a split of the erstwhile NBA Abuja Branch or Unity Bar into two as well as the creation of a new branch in Surulere. While Abuja Branch was retained, two additional branches were created. Aside from Abuja, Bwari and Gwagwalada branches, the new ‘branches’ are Nyanya/Karu Branch and Garki Branch.

Speaking on the rationale for the creation of the branches, Akpata had said: “Two more branches were created in addition to Abuja, Bwari and Gwagwalada. The main faction of the old Abuja Branch was retained, as Abuja Branch. The second faction is now Garki, and a third was created to give an NBA forum in Nyanya the status of a Branch.”

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FLOOD SWEEPS AWAY ABUJA COURT CHIEF

A heavy flood has swept away the Director of Finance, High Court of Federal Capital Territory , Mr. Tony Okecheme. Okecheme was on his way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in his official 2017 Toyota Camry when his car got stuck in the flood at Galadimawa roundabout, Abuja.

The finance director was swept away by the raging flood, but his driver, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, was rescued by some young boys in the area. The driver was said to have been taken to Asokoro hospital, but his boss was yet to be located as of the time of filing this report.

Eyewitnesses said the National Emergency Management Agency officials who came to the scene failed to rescue Okecheme and his driver who were reportedly trapped in the flood for about an hour before the water swept away the director.

His car, which was filled with mud water, was however pulled out of the ravines by the rescuers, who were angry over NEMA’s failure to rescue the man. Two young girls who claimed to be Okecheme’s children were seen weeping uncontrollably at the scene of the incident.

An FCT judiciary worker, who did not give his name, identified the car as belonging to Okecheme, noting that the man sent him N40,000 this (Friday) morning.

“I phoned him yesterday that I was broke and he promised to send me money before he travels today. I got N40,000 from him this morning,” he explained, as he showed our Correspondent the text message from the director.

The PUNCH reports that FCT Police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, promised to find out the incident, saying he had not been briefed.

Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Copyright 2018 CITY LAWYER. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.