NBA SPLITS, AS LAW SOCIETY OF NIGERIA EMERGES

Some Bar Leaders seem to have made good their threat to form a parallel lawyers’ association to assuage perceived wrongs within the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

This comes against the backdrop of the re-emergence of erstwhile Lawyers Society of Nigeria (LSN), originally registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on 28th December, 1994.

With leading insolvency practitioner, Mr. Kunle Ogunba SAN as President, the new association has former NBA General Secretary, Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack as Vice President and Abdulqadir Alhaji Sani as Secretary.

A key promoter of the new association had told CITY LAWYER about a fortnight ago that there was no going back on the move, noting that accountants and other professionals have multiple unions to choose from.

He vowed that while LSN would not antagonize NBA, “it will aggressively pitch its programmes with lawyers and vigorously canvass membership.”

Meanwhile, the new body has written to the Body of Benchers intimating the Benchers of its existence.

CITY LAWYER recalls that a similar move to break the NBA on the heels of the 2020 NBA Elections was doused by the Olumide Akpata Administration.

The NBA leadership is yet to respond to the re-emergence of the lawyers’ association at press time.

A copy of the letter made available to CITY LAWYER reads:

LSN/BOB/C/2022/Vol. 1/001.

Monday, October 24, 2022

The Chairman,
The Body of Benchers, Plot 688,
Institute & Research District FCC, Phase 111,
Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja.

Attention: Mr. Daniel Tela
(Secretary, Body of Benchers)

Dear Sir,

LAW SOCIETY OF NIGERIA: NOTICE OF EXISTENCE AND NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

The pro tem National Executive Committee of the Law Society of Nigeria presents its compliments to the Chairman and distinguished members of the Body of Benchers as we write to formally notify our revered Body of Benchers of the existence of the Law Society of Nigeria, and its protem National Officers.
The Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) was founded and registered as a national organization of Lawyers admitted to practice law in Nigeria. The LSN, with membership, spread all over Nigeria, exists to empower the legal profession with quality member services (high standards of learning, competence, and professional conduct); facilitate access to justice; maintain and advance the cause of justice; and promote the rule of law, through advocacy and good governance. Please find attached a copy of the Certificate of Registration of the LSN by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The following are protem National Officers of the Law Society of Nigeria:

a. Kunle Ogunba, SAN – President
b. Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack – Vice President
c. Abdulqadir Alhaji Sani – Secretary
d. Olasupo Ojo – Welfare Secretary
e. Chioma Ferguson – Treasurer
f. Douglas Ogbankwa – Publicity Secretary
g. Zara Umar Yakub – Financial Secretary
h. Alice Ogaku Awonugba – Assistant Secretary
i. Hassan Sherif – Assistant Publicity Secretary

As a Society of lawyers in Nigeria, called to the Nigerian Bar under the auspices of the Body of Benchers, the Law Society and its members are subject to the authority of the Body of Benchers and other regulatory organs as established by the Legal Practitioners Act. We commit ourselves to work with the Body of Benchers to ensure quality legal service delivery.

We would like to use this medium to express our appreciation and congratulate the Body of Benchers on the industry of the BOB and the remarkable progress you have made to strengthen the regulation of the Bar and the activities of our members. Of particular mention is the recent commissioning of the BOB Hall, which is a milestone in the history of both the BOB and the legal profession. In the same vein, the LSN heartily congratulates the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN, CFR as well as several other distinguished members of the Body of Benchers that were recently deservedly conferred with National Honours by his Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

May we also extend the warm felicitations of the LSN to this foremost august body whose advanced efforts at a harmonized Bill proposing reforms to the Legal Practitioners’ Act must be taken into cognizance and firmly applauded. It is on the verge of these uncommon and necessary reforms in our legal annals and the ageless egalitarian posture on freedom to lawfully associate, that the LSN also writes your distinguished body introducing herself.

We count on the Body of Benchers, as the sole statutory body responsible for the admission of persons to the legal profession in Nigeria, to provide a level playing field for all Lawyers in Nigeria, irrespective of the national organization we decide to operate in the exercise of our constitutional right to freely associate and assemble.

We use this opportunity to convey to Mr. Chairman and the distinguished members of the BOB, the warm assurances of our high consideration.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
PP: LAW SOCIETY OF NIGERIA

Kunle Ogunba, SAN.                                      Abdulqadir Alhaji Sani, Esq.
President                                                                  Secretary

The Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) promises to up the ante , in matters that have been ignored in the Legal Profession in Nigeria , prominent of which are premium on Members’ Welfare and an open and transparent system in choosing leaders of the Legal Profession at the National Level , which have been indicated by the New Association of Lawyers , as the fulcrum of their activities.

Already Members of the Legal Profession in Nigeria have been following the twitter handle of the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) , @ lawsocietyofnig, in a frenzy that indicates the general acceptance of the new Professional Association of Lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar , that will take the Legal Profession in Nigeria , to greater heights in the new mellieu of an ever changing world.

Statement Issued by:

Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.,
Publicity Secretary ,
Law Society of Nigeria (LSN),
WhatsApp:08065193188, twitter:lawsocietyofnig

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ODUAH WAS INCOMPETENT, LABELLED AKPATA AS ‘WICKED,’ SAYS FORMER AIDE

Mr. Ndifreke Aquaisua, a lawyer and former Executive Assistant to the immediate past Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) General Secretary, Mrs. Joyce Oduah, has described his former boss as high-handed and “schizophrenic,” saying she also called immediate past NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata “a wicked person.”

In a response to Oduah’s letter to NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN which was made available to CITY LAWYER, Aquaisua said Oduah’s letter was a “potpourri of lies,” even as he said that “I had to resign having gotten fed up with her high-handedness, over bloated ego, schizophrenic nature of believing that everybody at the Secretariat is after her life.”

Below is the full text of his rebuttal.

Facts Are Sacred: Ndifreke Aquaisua Esq. Reacts To Allegations Levelled Against Him By Former General Secretary Of NBA, Mrs. Joyce Oduah (Part 1)

It is surprising and laughable that it took the former suspended General Secretary of NBA, Mrs. Joyce Oduah more than one month to react to facts contained in my Affidavit of Facts. Obviously, she needed time to concoct her potpourri of lies.

I did not want to join issues with the former suspended General Secretary based on advice and plea from friends, senior and junior colleagues I hold in high respect.

However, since the sacked General Secretary has decided to embark on a macabre dance in the market square, I am left with no other option than to set the records straight because facts are sacred and must not be skewed for personal gains.

My meeting Mrs. Oduah was facilitated by Sammy Etuk, Esq., a senior colleague I hold in high esteem at SPIDEL Conference in Aba, Abia state in 2019, who was able to convince me to work with him and others to ensure she emerged the second female General Secretary of NBA.

Within the period of her campaign, I acted as her media assistant by writing and syndicating materials to market her candidature at no cost or pecuniary interest.

That within the period of working with her, just like others, I noticed her over bloated ego, penchant for branding her opponents and anybody not in support of her ambition as diabolic and after her life.

That because Mrs. Oduah by birth is from my State of origin (Akwa Ibom) and the need to avoid being branded a person who works against the interest of people from my State, I stomached her excesses to ensure that we worked to actualize her victory at the polls.

After her victory at the polls, I was invited to work with her as an Executive Assistant, an offer I refused, I rejected at first, because of her erratic and cantercorous (sic) nature, but was prevailed upon to join her.

My first day as the Executive Assistant to Mrs. Oduah started with a lengthy briefing, where she told me that everyone in the Secretariat hated her and are diabolically trying to harm her. She mentioned some of her colleagues in the Exco as people targeting her downfall and ended up warning me not to talk or mix with any person at the NBA Secretariat.

The allegation that Mrs. Oduah physically assaulted me is true, this is evident in her admission that the only physical contact she had with Mr. Aquaisua was “a tap on his left shoulder to get his attention”. Her attempt to misrepresent facts as to her assault of my person falls flat on its face because she did not need to attract my attention when we were talking.

Her grouse with me was basically because Mrs. Kemi Beatrice (Head of Branding Department), an innocent lady she claims is also after her life offered me a lift at about 10:30pm which I ordinarily accepted her kind gesture as Mrs. Oduah never gave a hoot about how I go back to my residence when I close late at night.

On the issue of application letter, Mrs. Oduah instructed me to draft an application letter and backdate it to August, 2020 and that the said application letter should reflect “General Secretary-Elect”. I did exactly as she instructed me and the said application letter was forwarded to the President.

Immediately the President received the application letter, he drew her attention that the letter was not properly addressed as it should have been addressed to the President and not to the General Secretary or General Secretary-Elect as she asked me to address.

If in her words, I was not competent, then she herself was not also competent for failing to decern (sic) that the letter was not properly “written” and transmitting same to the President. Infact, the allegation is not only baseless but a futile attempt to give a dog a bad name to hang it.

The same incompetent Ndifreke Aquaisua is the person who prepared most of the media materials Mrs. Oduah used during her campaign and filed a good percentage of the reports from her office for the five months I worked with her and when I left she could not do it herself to the extent that it took the then Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapuluchukwu and other members of the Exco to perform her statutory duties to cover the shame her incompetence would have brought to the Exco members who actually acted in good faith to protect the collective integrity of the Exco and shield Mrs. Oduah’s ineptitude as General Secretary.

On the baseless allegation of my acting Oliver Twist, I must state that this is a lie from the pit of hell as my salary and other emoluments as a staff of the Secretariat of our noble association was fixed and could not be influenced or changed by an individual so it is highly preposterous to give the impression that I wanted Mrs. Oduah to change or give anything outside what was stipulated in my letter of appointment. She lacked such powers to do so. I did not take Mrs. Oduah as family because she did not treat me same.

The only time I went to her home was during her thanksgiving service in Lagos which she gave me a bus fare to Lagos and caused me to sleep on mat in her sitting room throughout my period of stay in Lagos and turned me to a domestic help. A duty I carried out as a result of the respect of the office she occupies in our noble association.

Mrs. Oduah infact turned me to an errand boy who must carry her handbag, helped her put on her shoes and drive her around in my car when she visits Uyo on official assignments at my expense. Without sounding immodest, I am from a very comfortable home, owners of one the foremost and oldest higher institution in Akwa Ibom State but by our training, we are taught to be humble, modest and respectful.

So my working with Mrs. Oduah as Executive Assistant was not about the money because she could not afford to pay me, as when I resumed, I flew into Abuja and stayed in hotel for two weeks without a dime from Mrs. Oduah or my employers and got a place to live without any contribution from her.

I had to resign having gotten fed up with her high-handedness, over bloated ego, schizophrenic nature of believing that everybody at the Secretariat is after her life and I could not mix with my colleagues freely for fear of harassment by Mrs. Oduah who believed I will be used to get at her.

In January, 2021 after the Christmas vacation, I was ill and reached out to the head of Administration and Finance, Salamatu Sidi, Esq. and told her I was ill and will not be able to resume immediately, she advised me to take my health seriously and see a medical doctor and rest as well till I get fit to resume.

When I reported my poor state of health to Mrs. Oduah, she rained fire and brimstone on me, calling me unprintable names and even cursing me as a lazy and pretentious bone. She even went to the extent of putting a call across to my referee, Sammy Etuk, Esq. to ask me to report immediately or face her wrath.

I could not take it anymore, after my treatment, immediately I arrived Abuja, I tendered my resignation letter addressed to the President, then forwarded a copy to her through WhatsApp. Immediately she got it, she queried me why I had to address it to the President instead of her, that I should go and withdraw it and address it to her and also wait for her to come back as the President, Mr. Olumide Akpata being a wicked person will not accept my resignation. This to me was a cheap lie, blackmail and a ploy to frustrate my resignation and I was not ready for that.

Mrs. Oduah put a call across to senior lawyers I respect in my home State to prevail on me to withdraw my letter of resignation. For once, I chose to disobey them.

I have chosen to make this comment to set the records straight and clear my name.

To be continued…

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GADZAMA SHUNS NBA APPEALS C’TE OVER BIAS CONCERNS, DG WRITES AKPATA

Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN will not approach the NBA NBA National Elections Appeals Committee (NBA-NEAC) for redress over the recent NBA Elections due to concerns on the neutrality of the committee, CITY LAWYER can authoritatively report.

In a letter made available to CITY LAWYER and addressed to NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, Team J-K Gadzama SAN stated that “we wish to bring to your attention that our candidate, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN will not be exploring the option of approaching the Committee on the following grounds…”

Signed by Messrs Chukwudi Oli and O. E. Oluwabiyi, the Director-General and Admin Officer respectively of and titled “RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE NBA NATIONAL ELECTIONS APPEALS COMMITTEE (NBA-NEAC),” Team J-K Gadzama SAN alleged that the Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs. Funmi Roberts is “more of a supporter of Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN by liking posts on LinkedIn.”

The organization also doubted the neutrality of former NBA National Officer and Appeals Committee member, Mr. Okey Ohagba, saying that he “was an active Coordinator in Port Harcourt for Y. C. Maikyau, SAN.”

Team J-K Gadzama SAN again alleged that another member of the Appeals Committee, Mrs. Huwaila Muhammed Ibrahim “actively and openly posted contents on her Facebook platform projecting Y. C. Maikyau, SAN.”

The organization stated that the “non-neutrality” of these members of the Appeals Committee “poses elements of bias by virtue of their active participation in the campaign activities of Y. C. Maikyau, SAN in the recently concluded National Elections which held on Saturday, 16th July, 2022.

“We sincerely believe that the aforementioned persons will not be able to discharge the duties of the Committee devoid of sentiments and biases and hence, present no guarantee of credibility and fairness in administering unbiased decisions and findings. We have attached some screen pictures of displays by these persons in support of Y. C. Maikyau, SAN during the period of campaign activities. Please see Annexure NBA1 and Annexure
NBA2;

“The refusal of the ECNBA to allow an election audit which would examine the Election/Result Logs and the platform for the election as requested by our candidate’s Agent, Andrew Agbo-Madaki in his letter dated Saturday, 16th July, 2022 further renders our cause a herculean task if not an impossible one before the Committee, whose duty is essentially factfinding.

“As a result of the aforementioned grounds and circumstances, personal reasons of Chief Gadzama, SAN have also arisen.

“In precis, we firmly believe that the leadership of the NBA has a duty to maintain a level playing ground for all stakeholders and parties, and to guarantee the integrity of the post-election process.”

The NBA is yet to respond to the allegations. Maikyau was declared winner of the election conducted on July 16, 2022 via electronic voting.

To view the full letter, click here

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LPDC PROBE: OLANIPEKUN SPEAKS ON NBA’S QUIT NOTICE

The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN (SAN) has expressed anger over the demand by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for him to step aside due to a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) concerning his law firm.

CITY LAWYER had in an exclusive report noted the petition by NBA to the LPDC where it not only demanded sanctions against Ms. Adekunbi Ogunde, a Partner in Wole Olanipekun & Co, for alleged solicitation of briefs from Saipem SPA, but invited the Committee to “consider whether the Partners of the Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined by this august body seeing that the Respondent has the ostensible authority to act as a Partner and indeed acted for and on behalf of the said Firm.” Olanipekun is the Founding Partner of the law firm. The LPDC is a committee of the Body of Benchers.

Olanipekun told SUNDAY VANGUARD that he would not understand why NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata would write him a letter requesting him to step down as the Body of Benchers and circulate the letter on social media without serving him a copy more than 24 hours after.

According to the report, Olanipekun, a former President of the NBA, said it appeared there was an ulterior motive behind the action of the NBA President.

His words: “As we talk, I am yet to get a copy of the letter. People have been calling me but I can’t react to a document that I have not seen.”

In a statement personally signed by Akpata, NBA had urged Olanipekun “to recuse yourself from chairmanship of the BOB henceforth and to allow for the emplacement of an interim leadership of the BOB, in order to enable the LPDC carry out this particular assignment, amongst others, without coming under an undue suspicion of impartiality.”

In the letter to Olanipekun dated July 22, 2022 and titled “RE: PETITION AGAINST MS. ADEKUNBI OGUNDE BY THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION FOR ALLEGED PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT,” the NBA stated that it had petitioned the LPDC to penalize Ogunde “for engaging in conduct incompatible with her status as a legal practitioner and in flagrant disregard of our Rules of Professional Conduct which both the NBA and the Body of Benchers (BOB) are by their respective mandates bound to enforce as part of the disciplinary objectives of the legal profession. (Please find enclosed the Petition dated 19 July 2022).

“Ms. Ogunde, the subject of the Petition, as it turns out, is a Partner at the Law Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. where you are a Founding Partner and remain involved in the day-to-day running of the Firm. This dynamic creates an undeniable shared and intertwined professional relationship between your goodself and the said Ms. Ogunde. Indeed, in the said Petition, we have also asked the LPDC to “…consider whether the Partners of the Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined by this august body seeing that the Respondent has the ostensible authority to act as a Partner and indeed acted for and on behalf of the said Firm.

“As you know, the LPDC is a Standing Committee of the BOB whose processes come under the supervision of the Chairman of the BOB – an office which you currently occupy.

“Against the backdrop of your partnership relationship with Ms. Ogunde, vis-a-vis the prosecution of the petition by the LPDC, it is clear, albeit unfortunate, that you have been put in a situation where your continued occupancy of the office during this period would conflict, or be reasonably interpreted to conflict, with or influence the processes of the LPDC, by fair-minded observers and right thinking members of the public, both within and outside our profession. By reason of your close professional ties and involvement with Ms. Ogunde, it would be an infraction of the salutary principles of natural justice for the said Petition to be heard by the LPDC while you continue as Chairman of the BOB, of which the LPDC is a committee.”

Quoting Lord Denning, Akpata noted that justice must be rooted in confidence and that confidence is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking that the Judge is biased, adding: “Consequent upon the above, I am constrained to invite you to recuse yourself from chairmanship of the BOB henceforth and to allow for the emplacement of an interim leadership of the BOB, in order to enable the LPDC carry out this particular assignment, amongst others, without coming under an undue suspicion of impartiality.

“As a beacon of Rule of Law and due process, the NBA must continue to demonstrate that it is committed to the vision of its founding fathers, especially in its internal affairs. This situation, therefore, puts our foundational ethos as an Association on the line, and I trust that as a former President of the NBA and a very respected senior member of the Bar, you will take the honourable path of stepping-aside in the interest of justice, fairness, and posterity.

“I am pained that I have to make this call, but in the circumstance, it is in the best interest of our Association and of the legal profession in Nigeria.”

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NBA ASKS OLANIPEKUN TO ‘STEP ASIDE’ AS BENCHERS CHAIR OVER LPDC PROBE

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has asked its former President and current Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN to step aside from the office following a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) demanding sanctions against him and partners in his law firm over alleged professional misconduct.

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee is an organ set up by the Body of Benchers to discipline legal practitioners.

In a statement personally signed by NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, the association urged Olanipekun “to recuse yourself from chairmanship of the BOB henceforth and to allow for the emplacement of an interim leadership of the BOB, in order to enable the LPDC carry out this particular assignment, amongst others, without coming under an undue suspicion of impartiality.”

CITY LAWYER had in an exclusive report noted the petition by NBA to the LPDC where it not only demanded sanctions against Ms. Adekunbi Ogunde, a Partner in Wole Olanipekun & Co, for alleged solicitation of briefs from Saipem SPA, but invited the Committee to “consider whether the Partners of the Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined by this august body seeing that the Respondent has the ostensible authority to act as a Partner and indeed acted for and on behalf of the said Firm.” Olanipekun is the Founding Partner of the law firm.

In the letter to Olanipekun dated July 22, 2022 and titled “RE: PETITION AGAINST MS. ADEKUNBI OGUNDE BY THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION FOR ALLEGED PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT,” the NBA stated that it had petitioned the LPDC to penalize Ogunde “for engaging in conduct incompatible with her status as a legal practitioner and in flagrant disregard of our Rules of Professional Conduct which both the NBA and the Body of Benchers (BOB) are by their respective mandates bound to enforce as part of the disciplinary objectives of the legal profession. (Please find enclosed the Petition dated 19 July 2022).

“Ms. Ogunde, the subject of the Petition, as it turns out, is a Partner at the Law Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. where you are a Founding Partner and remain involved in the day-to-day running of the Firm. This dynamic creates an undeniable shared and intertwined professional relationship between your goodself and the said Ms. Ogunde. Indeed, in the said Petition, we have also asked the LPDC to “…consider whether the Partners of the Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined by this august body seeing that the Respondent has the ostensible authority to act as a Partner and indeed acted for and on behalf of the said Firm.

“As you know, the LPDC is a Standing Committee of the BOB whose processes come under the supervision of the Chairman of the BOB – an office which you currently occupy.

“Against the backdrop of your partnership relationship with Ms. Ogunde, vis-a-vis the prosecution of the petition by the LPDC, it is clear, albeit unfortunate, that you have been put in a situation where your continued occupancy of the office during this period would conflict, or be reasonably interpreted to conflict, with or influence the processes of the LPDC, by fair-minded observers and right thinking members of the public, both within and outside our profession. By reason of your close professional ties and involvement with Ms. Ogunde, it would be an infraction of the salutary principles of natural justice for the said Petition to be heard by the LPDC while you continue as Chairman of the BOB, of which the LPDC is a committee.”

Quoting Lord Denning, Akpata noted that justice must be rooted in confidence and that confidence is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking that the Judge is biased, adding: “Consequent upon the above, I am constrained to invite you to recuse yourself from chairmanship of the BOB henceforth and to allow for the emplacement of an interim leadership of the BOB, in order to enable the LPDC carry out this particular assignment, amongst others, without coming under an undue suspicion of impartiality.

“As a beacon of Rule of Law and due process, the NBA must continue to demonstrate that it is committed to the vision of its founding fathers, especially in its internal affairs. This situation, therefore, puts our foundational ethos as an Association on the line, and I trust that as a former President of the NBA and a very respected senior member of the Bar, you will take the honourable path of stepping-aside in the interest of justice, fairness, and posterity.

“I am pained that I have to make this call, but in the circumstance, it is in the best interest of our Association and of the legal profession in Nigeria.”

It was unclear at press time whether Olanipekun has received the letter from NBA.

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‘I DEDICATE ECNBA CLEARANCE TO MY SUPPORTERS,’ SAYS ISAAC OGBAH

FEATURED

IT IS WITH GREAT JOY FOR ME TO AWAKE TO THE NEWS OF MY HAVING MADE THE FINAL LIST OF THOSE QUALIFIED TO CONTEST THE FORTHCOMING NBA NATIONAL ELECTIONS

Having earlier received an email wherein the petition written against me by a fellow legal practitioner was dismissed, the news of my making the final list of those qualified to contest for the post of 3rd Vice President of the NBA crowns it all

*Once again I have no doubt whatsoever that God, who began the good works in me, will surely bring it all unto perfection *

*With all my heart ❤️ I sincerely appreciate and thank everyone of you for standing by me all these while. Special thanks to you all for all your support, counsel and prayers. I could never have gone this far without you all the way. Together we shall have cause to celebrate when the elections are finally over *

*I dedicate this victory so far to you all for your having to believe in me. You never gave up on me even in the face of the frivolous petition that was written against my person. And neither did any one of you ever stop believing in me even when the much needed email from ECNBA was delayed in coming. Surely we shall all have cause to celebrate together in the coming weeks. *

*Once again I sincerely appreciate and celebrate you all now and always *

*It shall all end up in testimonies. To God alone be all the glory *

Isaac Omuta Ogbah, FICMC, Past Chair, NBA Ota; Editor-in-Chief, EJSC

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‘LUCIUS NWOSU LEFT INDELIBLE FOOTPRINTS,’ SAYS GADZAMA

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Security Agencies Relations Committee (NBA-SARC), Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN has condoled the spouse of Mr. Lucius Nwosu SAN over the death of the foremost oil and gas lawyer.

In a statement made available to CITY LAWYER and titled “CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON THE DEMISE OF YOUR BELOVED HUSBAND – LATE CHIEF LUCIUS E. NWOSU, SAN,” Gadzama said he sympathized with the spouse, Dr. Chinelo Nwosu “on the glorious home-call of your beloved husband, Chief Lucius E. Nwosu, SAN.”

Continuing, he wrote: “It was with great shock that I learnt of the sad demise of your beloved husband and patriarch of the Nwosu family, who passed on peacefully as one of the best stock of Legal Practitioners that Nigeria and the good people of Imo State has ever known.

“Chief Lucius E. Nwosu, SAN left indelible footprints in the sands of time. He left a big shoe to fill by his successor. He was a great achiever and a man who lived a purpose driven life. His strides of accomplishments in the Nigerian Courts were peculiar to him alone. He was a beacon of light amongst his peers. He will be greatly missed.

“It is my prayer that God Almighty in his infinite mercy grants you and your entire family the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss of the strong pillar of your family. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. May his gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace with the Lord.

“Kindly accept the warm assurances of my esteemed regards.”

The condolence letter was copied to Mr. Prince Nyekwere, Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch.

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ANXIETY, AS OJO FAULTS ECNBA, DEMANDS ZONING OF PRESIDENCY, OTHERS

  • WE WILL RESPOND SOONEST – ECNBA CHAIR

Fiery Bar Leader and former Secretary of the NBA Constitution Review Committee, Mr. Olasupo Ojo has faulted the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) over its recently released Preliminary Notice of Election.

The activist also demanded an amendment of the notice to reflect “micro zoning” of offices to geopolitical blocs. If implemented, the ECNBA may zone the contest for NBA Presidency to the North East Zone. This will leave the field wide open for the Chairman of the NBA Security Agencies Relations Committee, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN to clinch the coveted seat while shutting out the Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN and immediate past NBA General Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Taidi who are also believed to be eyeing the position.

In a letter to ECNBA obtained by CITY LAWYER, Ojo asked the ECNBA “to urgently fully give effect to the provisions of the NBA Constitution (including the binding micro zoning provisions) and administer the applicable rules fairly and firmly in line with the Commitment of the Committee as restated in your letter dated 1st February, 2022 to me.”

Meanwhile, the ECNBA Chairman, Mr. Richard Akintunde SAN told CITY LAWYER that the committee is already in receipt of the complaint, adding that it would respond “as soon as possible.”

The letter was titled “RE: ECNBA PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF ELECTION” and dated March 21, 2022. It was copied to NBA President and all national officers, the Chairman and all members of the Body of Benchers as well as the Chairman and all members of the NBA Board of Trustees.

According to Ojo, the Electoral Reform and Audit Committee “had recommended that the micro zoning provision in the NBA Constitution should be strictly adhered to in order to ensure that no group and/or section in a geographical zone is marginalized and the unity of the bar is preserved.”

He stated that “This recommendation was approved, adopted and endorsed by the National Executive Council as reflected in the communiqué issued by the President and General Secretary of the Association on 18th March, 2021.There was no contrary decision and/or resolution reached at the 2021 Annual General Meeting in Port-Harcourt on this adopted recommendation.”

He argued that while the different sections/groups that make up each geographical zone are the geopolitical zones/blocs, “the legitimate expectation from the ECNBA was for the preliminary notice of election to specifically indicate the particular sections/groups in the zones and the component states for each of the zoned positions.”

Ojo stated that he was “taken aback when I read the preliminary notice of election which did not specify the sections/groups and the component states in line with the mandatory micro zoning provision of the NBA Constitution. For the sake of emphasis, I hereby reproduce the provision of paragraph 4 of Part IV of the second schedule to the NBA Constitution thus: “Where a position is zoned to any particular geographical zone, the position shall be rotated and held in turn by the different groups and/or sections in the geographical zone.”

“There is no doubt that the office of the President, Second Vice President and General Secretary are zoned to the Northern, Eastern and Western Zones respectively. All that it left to be done is the reflection of the specific groups and/or sections within each of the Zones that should contest and hold the zoned officers in line with the micro zoning arrangement. This has not been done up till this moment although the guidelines are yet to be released.”

Berating the association for allegedly side-stepping its rules, Ojo said: “The NBA, as a professional body of lawyers, cannot continue to break its own rules and/or disregard the rule of law. You may recall that I had earlier instituted an action in Suit No FHC/CS/545/2016 (Olasupo Ojo v. Registered Trustees of Nigerian Bar Association) before the Federal High Court against the NBA Trustees in 2016 which was decided in my favour. The said Judgment invalidated the 2015 NBA Constitution under which the then NBA national leadership assumed office. Unfortunately, the Judgment of the Court was swept under the carpet and not complied with. It is that same invalidated Constitution that was amended in 2019 and further amended in 2021.”

The Bar Leader noted that he had also “objected to the registration of the NBA Constitution (as amended in 2021) by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in the manner in which it was presented by NBA on the ground that it was wrongly titled “NBA Constitution 2021” and contained sections 28 and 29 which purported to repeal the extant constitution all contrary to the resolution duly adopted and passed in 2021 at the Annual General Meeting in Port-Harcourt. CAC upheld my objection and following the success, the Constitution was corrected to properly read “The Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association 2015 (as amended in 2021)” and the amendments were correctly reflected by the NBA as pointed out by me.”

His words: “As lawyers, we must always be seen to uphold the rule of law both in our words and actions. It is based on this same philosophy of upholding the rule of law that I deem it necessary to write to the ECNBA again in respect of the issues raised herein. I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand why an Association like NBA should find it difficult to obey its own rules. It is getting tiresome.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that the ECNBA recently issued the Preliminary Notice of Election and zoned the NBA Presidency and First Vice President to the “Northern Zone” while the Second Vice President went to the “Eastern Zone.” The post of Third Vice President and General Secretary were reserved for the “Western Zone while the other posts were not zoned to any bloc.

OLASUPO OJO_ECNBA++

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‘3 THORNY ISSUES CONTINUE TO BOTHER US,’ AKPATA TELLS LAWYERS

The Nigerian Bar Association (President), Mr. Olumide Akpata has identified three key challenges facing his administration, even as he promised that “we intend to double our efforts this year to ensure that these issues are resolved or, at least, we will lay the foundation for their resolution even beyond our term in office.”

In a New Year message sent to members via email and titled, “RE: Looking back, looking forward – The year ahead of us,” Akpata identified one of the challenges as the slow pace of justice delivery, saying: “The first is the slow pace of administration of justice and the unpleasant experience of many of our members who use the courts. On this, our NBA Judiucary (sic) Committee led by my friend and brother, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN has been working relentlessly for possible solutions since we set up that Committee. I have the assurances of the Committee that, on account of their work, we will begin to see changes at our courts during the year through their court monitoring activities and other high-level engagements.”

Below is the full text of the message.

RE: Looking back, looking forward – The year ahead of us

My Dear Colleagues,

Let me first thank the Almighty God who saw us through the year 2021 and has given us the opportunity to witness the start of another year. We are especially thankful considering that the year was a challenging one for the legal community in many respects.

Despite the challenges posed by the lockdown of our courts during the JUSUN strike, resurgent Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant economic costs to the legal profession, we were resilient and trudged on. Each of you found reasons to celebrate different feats, and as an association, the NBA also made some significant strides – many of which I communicated to you directly or through our media team in the course of 2021.

That said, I am not oblivious of the losses that we suffered, our colleagues and friends (at the Bar and the Bench) who passed on, and the general challenges that we continue to face as a profession. While 2021 is now history, the much that my team and I can commit to is that we will keep doing our best to address these challenges and justify the confidence that you have in us.

As you know, this year signals the end of this administration as we are constitutionally mandated to handover to a new team by August 2022. This, therefore, will be my last New Year address to you, in my capacity as the NBA President.

Since I have had the privilege of leading the NBA, my team and I have continued to put in every ounce of our energy towards delivering on your mandate and as the administration enters what would be its last months, may I assure you that we will continue to do just that.

When I ran for the office of the President of the NBA, one of the commitments that I made to you was to revive the NBA and make it an institution that delivers real value to its members and the society at large. I believe that this objective is being achieved as we have, through the grace of God, held ourselves to this high standard by ensuring that our interventions are directed at improving the welfare of our members, restoring the place of the Bar in our nation building process and introducing initiatives that will raise the standard of lawyers, make the practice of law more exciting and overall, better our professional lives.

In addition to what we have done and continue to do, I should highlight three thorny issues that continue to bother us as a team and in respect of which we are not relenting. Although we have been working on these issues in varying degrees, we intend to double our efforts this year to ensure that these issues are resolved or, at least, we will lay the foundation for their resolution even beyond our term in office.

The first is the slow pace of administration of justice and the unpleasant experience of many of our members who use the courts. On this, our NBA Judiucary (sic) Committee led by my friend and brother, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN has been working relentlessly for possible solutions since we set up that Committee. I have the assurances of the Committee that, on account of their work, we will begin to see changes at our courts during the year through their court monitoring activities and other high-level engagements.

The second is remuneration of lawyers and scale of charges for legal services. I quite understand the apprehension of our members in this regard, and I can confirm that the Anthony Nwaochei-led NBA Remuneration Committee has done considerable work on this issue and are putting finishing touches on their proposals. Once this is concluded, and we have the approval of the NBA-NEC, we will make the recommendations and implementation strategies of the Remuneration Committee public and commence enforcement.

The third is under-employment and unemployment of lawyers. While this is a macroeconomic issue and cuts across all professions, we are cognisant of the fact that the NBA can galvanise and play a role in reducing the trend within the legal profession. Our current approach in dealing with this has been largely through our efforts at helping lawyers expand the scope of their practice and become more active in other areas of law outside of our current traditional practice areas. The NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education under the able leadership of Mr. Tobenna Erojikwe has been doing an excellent job in this respect on behalf of the NBA. This year, we will give more institutional attention to the issue of underemployment/unemployment within the profession and devise other practical means of dealing with the conundrum, to the extent that it is within the powers of the NBA to do so. Some of our approaches may not yield the desired results in the short term, but with sustained efforts, I am confident that we will achieve our objectives in the mid to long term.

As I conclude, let me remind us that we are now in the fourth phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organisation, with the Omicron variant of the virus ravaging nations and economies, and threatening a new wave of lockdowns in parts of Europe and America. I therefore urge us to continue to comply with, and adhere to, the clinical and non-pharmaceutical practices approved by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to protect ourselves, families, friends, and colleagues from the virus. Let us stay safe as we celebrate into the New Year.

Once again, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

OLUMIDE AKPATA
President
Nigerian Bar Association

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$418M JUDGMENT DEBT: GADZAMA WRITES MALAMI, DISTANCES SELF

Leading litigator, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN has distanced himself from the controversial $418 million Paris Club judgement debt debacle, saying that he never authored any letter to the Attorney-General & Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN on the matter.

In a letter dated September 9, 2021 and made available to CITY LAWYER, Gadzama pooh-poohed an online report claiming that he wrote a letter to Malami on behalf of Prince Ned Nwoko, describing it as “fallacious, malicious and self-serving.”

He added that “I was neither a part of any meeting where any resolution to write to your office was taken, nor did I author or sign any letter as claimed in the publication. Furthermore, the tone of the letter, with copious references to the Nigerian Governors’ Form and Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, is not in consonance with my temperament and style.”

Below is the full text of the letter.

KG/ABJ/HAGF/09/21
Thursday, September 9, 2021.
The Honourable Attorney General of
the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Federal Ministry of Justice Complex,
Shehu Shagari Way
Central Business District,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

RE: PARIS CLUB REFUND: OUR REACTION TO THE PERSISTENCE OF THE NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM (NGF) IN MISCHARACTERISING THE ISSUANCE OF PROMISSORY NOTES THEREBY FOSTERING FALSE NARRATIVES ABOUT THE LAUDABLE POLICY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO LIQUIDATE JUDGMENT DEBTS

My attention has been drawn to a publication captioned “Ned Nwoko Tackles Governors Over $418m Paris Club Refund” credited to one Kunle Olasanmi published on 8th September, 2021 in an online platform – leadership.ng wherein I was referenced in several paragraphs to have written a letter to your office, on behalf of Prince Ned Nwoko, as follows:

“…This is contained in a letter written by his team of lawyers led by Chief Joe Gadzama (SAN) to the Attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) over the $418 million judgment debts owed six individuals and entities who rendered services to states and their local governments on the payment of Paris Club debts…But in the letter to AGF Malami, Nwoko noted that “it is dishonest, deceitful and malicious for the governors to pretend that it is wrong to obey court orders,” Gadzama added. He said categories B and C comprise of judgment debts against Ministries Departments and MDAs worth approximately US$700 million. He drew the AGF’s attention to media reports quoting verbatim excerpts from a letter purportedly written by Lagos lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) on behalf of the NGF to the minister of Finance, Dr Zainab Ahmed, on enforcing court judgments by issuing promissory notes to the judgment creditors. Gadzama told Malami that his client, Nwoko, gave substantial concessions to the NGF and discounted the sum he is entitled to in the judgments being enforced. Gadzama said it was curious that NGF, through Falana, has either deliberately or for reasons they cannot fathom “persisted in pushing the grave error of not distinguishing between the two judgments of the court and thereby misinforming the public and stirring unnecessary controversy that politicizes the matter…”

The author of the article claims I wrote a letter to your office regarding the payment of fees to Mr. Ned Nwoko. I wish to put it on record that, although I am not averse to Prince Ned Nwoko and others collecting whatever fees they feel entitled to, I was neither a part of any meeting where any resolution to write to your office was taken, nor did I author or sign any letter as claimed in the publication. Furthermore, the tone of the letter, with copious references to the Nigerian Governors’ Form and Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, is not in consonance with my temperament and style.

I hereby urge you, Sir and the general public to disregard and discountenance the said publication and other similar publications as being fallacious, malicious and self-serving.

Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

_______________________________________________________________
Joe-Kyari Gadzama, OFR, MFR, SAN, FNIALS, FICMC, DiplCArb, FCIArb, FNICArb, C.Arb.
(Of Lincolns Inn, Barrister/Life Bencher/Certified Mediator/Regulatory Consultant)
Sardauna of Uba, Okwuluora of Ukpo & Bobajiro of Akure Kingdom.
Founding Principal Partner

GADZAMA_AGF+

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JUSUN STRIKE SPLITS LAGOS NBA BRANCHES, AKPATA WADES IN

• Ikeja Branch insists on protest march today
• Akpata Gives Nod to 4 branches to visit tomorrow
• Schism on interpretation of NBA’s directive

The directive by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata to NBA branches to pay a “visit” to Governors’ offices today and deliver letters to press home the demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary has split the five branches in Lagos State.

While Ikeja Branch insists on holding a “protest march” today in support of the ongoing strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the four other branches yesterday agreed to “visit” the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu tomorrow to deliver their joint letter.

At least two branch chairmen told CITY LAWYER that efforts made to persuade Ikeja Branch, otherwise called the “Tiger Branch,” to join other branches in the visit tomorrow met a brick wall, as the branch insisted that it had resolved at its last monthly meeting to embark on a “protest march,” even before Akpata’s directive.

NBA Ikorodu Branch Chairman, Mr. Abimbola Ojedokun told CITY LAWYER that all the branch chairmen met via whatsapp call yesterday to agree on the modalities for the visit, noting that aside from Ikeja Branch, the other branch chairman resolved to deliver a joint letter to the Governor tomorrow.

“We agreed to gather at Alausa Secretariat between 11 am and 12 noon and proceed to the Governor’s Office to meet with the Governor and deliver a joint letter to him on the issue,” said Ojedokun. “We set the time to enable members from far-flung branches like Epe and Badagry to join the group.”

Ojedokun said that the branches were mandated to mobilize their members for the visit, adding that while NBA Lagos Branch would alert its members of the decision at its monthly meeting holding today, the three other branches have scheduled emergency general meetings today to work out modalities for tomorrow’s visit.

Confirming Ojedokun’s stance, the Chairman of NBA Epe Branch, Mr. Ademola Koko told CITY LAWYER that the during the virtual meeting, Ikeja Branch stated that its plan to proceed on a protest march was 99 percent complete, adding that it could not resile from the resolve of its members.

“After the meeting, we issued a communiqué for each branch to convene an extra-ordinary general meeting to inform its members of the resolution to visit the Governor tomorrow. The meeting considered the fact the Mr. President’s directive was issued on Friday, leaving limited time to plan for the visit.

“Mr. President’s directive was for a joint visit to the Governor to deliver a jointly signed letter by all the branches in each state. That way, the letter will carry more weight. I am glad to tell you that Mr. President gave approval to the four branches to proceed with the visit tomorrow. We have just ended our own EGM. We are already mobilizing our members.”

CITY LAWYER gathered that NBA Lagos Branch Chairman, Mr. Yemi Akangbe was mandated by the other three chairmen to write the letter, to be endorsed by other branch chairmen prior to delivery to the Governor.

When CITY LAWYER telephoned NBA Ikeja Branch Chairman, Mr. Bartholomew Aguegbodo, he did not pick the call. However, a former Secretary of the Branch, Mr. Chinedu Ifezue told CITY LAWYER that the branch was holding an extra-ordinary general meeting where the chairman was presiding.

He said the EGM had again endorsed the earlier resolution to proceed with a protest march today, adding that “it is strictly in compliance with the NBA President’s directive. In fact, not to conduct the visit today is the real breach of the directive.”

In a press statement personally signed by the NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, the association asked all NBA branches to march to their respective State Governors on Monday “to effectively mobilize their members and pay visits to their respective State Governors at the Government Houses on Monday, 19th April 2021 to press home the demand for implementation of financial autonomy for the Judiciary. At the visit, NBA Branches in each State are to present a joint written demand to their State Governor requesting full compliance with existing legislative instruments and court judgments on the financial autonomy of the Judiciary.”

Noting that the demand for financial autonomy “is legitimate, constitutional and is in the best interest of the Judiciary as it is one of the key parameters for enthroning independence of the Judiciary and fostering democracy,” the NBA also directed the branch chairmen “to ensure that these visits are embarked upon, every subsequent Monday, until there is full compliance with this demand that is aimed at strengthening our democracy and the dispensation of justice. We trust that our members will give the leadership of their respective branches all the support that they require to achieve this much needed victory for our justice system.”

The move is coming on the heels of stalled efforts to amicably resolve the impasse, a situation bemoaned by the lawyers’ association which stated that “With these developments and the recent actions and utterances of officials of some of the State Governments, it has become apparent that most of the State Governments are not ready or willing to implement the constitutional provisions which grant financial autonomy to the

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JUSUN STRIKE: LAWYERS SET TO STORM GOVS’ OFFICES TOMORROW

Nigerian lawyers are poised to storm Governors’ offices tomorrow in compliance with the directive by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and to press home the demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary. The move is in apparent solidarity with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) which embarked on a nationwide strike to ensure financial autonomy for the judiciary.

In a press statement personally signed by the NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, the association asked all NBA branches “to effectively mobilize their members and pay visits to their respective State Governors at the Government Houses on Monday, 19th April 2021 to press home the demand for implementation of financial autonomy for the Judiciary. At the visit, NBA Branches in each State are to present a joint written demand to their State Governor requesting full compliance with existing legislative instruments and court judgments on the financial autonomy of the Judiciary.”

Noting that the demand for financial autonomy “is legitimate, constitutional and is in the best interest of the Judiciary as it is one of the key parameters for enthroning independence of the Judiciary and fostering democracy,” the NBA also directed the branch chairmen “to ensure that these visits are embarked upon, every subsequent Monday, until there is full compliance with this demand that is aimed at strengthening our democracy and the dispensation of justice. We trust that our members will give the leadership of their respective branches all the support that they require to achieve this much needed victory for our justice system.”

The move is coming on the heels of stalled efforts to amicably resolve the impasse, a situation bemoaned by the lawyers’ association which stated that “With these developments and the recent actions and utterances of officials of some of the State Governments, it has become apparent that most of the State Governments are not ready or willing to implement the constitutional provisions which grant financial autonomy to the Judiciary.”

Below is the full text of the statement.

JUSUN Strike – NBA Directive to Branches

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‘NO HERO HAS EVER EMERGED FROM TREACHERY,’ ADESINA WARNS

BY EMEKA NWADIOKE

Erstwhile Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential candidate, Mr. Dele Adesina has said that it was the association and not him or his supporters that lost the recently concluded election.

In a statement dripping with passion, Adesina also warned that NBA may have “lost the last opportunity to re-invent itself,” adding that “time will tell.”

He described the poll as “electronic fraud,” saying: “However, please remember that for those who masterminded, planned and executed the NBA election electronic fraud, no hero has ever emerged out of treachery no matter how noble he thinks his cause is.”

The full text of his speech is below:

THANK YOU ALL FROM DELE ADESINA, SAN, FCIArb.

To all my dear Supporters and Colleagues, particularly my Friends and Co-workers on various social media platforms, DASAN Committees, NBA Forums and Platforms, l once again wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and profound appreciation to each and everyone of you for the wonderful role you played in our attempt to re-create our Association by making it a positive catalyst for the Legal Profession and our Nation. We thought they would respect the very wide acceptability level we enjoyed through-out the Nation and different blocks and allow a fair, free and transparent election. Unfortunately, we never knew that the degree of audacity will be this brazen. We were going there to change the ways and show the path to follow, to demonstrate the meaning of true leadership in purity, honesty of purpose and integrity. Regrettably, those who hold the NBA in suffocating throat know the reason for doing what they did.

One clear thing from these past weeks is that we have built a strong bond of friendship and brotherhood thereby creating connections across the Nation. To all our partners, I urge you all to continue in this spirit of fellowship and keep our connections active as we are all together in this journey of life and career fulfilment in the true spirit of being “our brother’s keeper”. Please, do not exit the Forums and Platforms as it is my desire that we stay together, look after each other’s welfare and mutual progress. The NBA Presidency for me was not an end in itself but really a means to an end. The difference only is that the focus may now be shifted from that of institution to the individuals and that is you.

My believe and that of many, both within and outside of the Bar is that the election of yesterday July 30, 2020 was lost by the Nigerian Bar Association not me or you who worked tirelessly for the repositioning of our Association, the restoration of its honour, glory, integrity and the security of the future of our beloved Profession. Whether or not NBA has not lost the last opportunity to re-invent itself, time will tell. However, please remember that for those who masterminded, planned and executed the NBA election electronic fraud, no hero has ever emerged out of treachery no matter how noble he thinks his cause is.

Once again, I thank you all for your support. God bless you and bless the works of your hands.

Dele Adesina, SAN, FCIArb.

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What Usoro Told Obi Okafor, Ojukwu

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President-elect, Mr. Paul Usoro SAN had written to his co-contestants for NBA Presidency, seeking their cooperation towards a successful tenure.

The letter, which was copied to all NBA current and past presidents, has generated much furore.

Below is the controversial letter as obtained by CITY LAWYER:

On ‎Friday‎, ‎August‎ ‎24‎, ‎2018‎ ‎02‎:‎33‎:‎36‎ ‎PM‎ ‎WAT, Paul Usoro, SAN <paul@xxxxxx> wrote:

Dear Current and Past Presidents

On second thoughts, I decided I should make you privy to my self-explanatory mail below to my brothers, Ernest and Arthur. It would be my joy to work with both of them for the common good of the NBA and I respectfully and most humbly implore you to join voices with me to intercede and direct the three of us towards that common goal, in the terms of my mail to them. I thank you all and pray for Divine blessings and protection for you and your families.

Best

Paul Usoro, SAN
Senior Partner

From: Paul Usoro <paul@xxxxxx>
Date: Friday, August 24, 2018 at 1:59 PM
To: “Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN” <arthur@xxxxxx>, Ernest Ojukwu <ernestojukwu2@xxxxxx>
Subject: Nigerian Bar Association

My dear brothers Ernest and Arthur

Soon after the NBA Elections last Monday, 20 August 2018 I called both of you (same day in regard to Arthur and on Wednesday, 23 August 2018 in regard to Ernest) but you both must’ve been busy and couldn’t take my calls. I also left WhatsApp messages on your phone but again, your schedules may not have permitted you to revert. I had intended to use my calls to reach both of you and solicit your support for my running of the NBA, post the elections; not having reached you nor heard from you, I thought it wise not to wait any further but to articular my thoughts vide this e-mail.

Let me start by first stating that I fully understand your respective feelings and belief that you and not me should’ve won the NBA Presidential election. I probably would’ve felt the same way, perhaps, not as heated, if I had lost. I’m however reminded of the fact that, win or lose in an NBA election, we, the three of us, remain learned friends, brother Silks and kinsmen from Eastern Nigeria. Those are strong unbreakable bonds that NBA election, win or lose, should not and must not put asunder. Indeed, a win by any of us ought to have been and should be seen as a win for all of us, given those bonds that I’ve listed. It is in that spirit that I’m truly and earnestly extending my hands of brotherhood to both of you and appealing that we sheath swords and join hands in reshaping the NBA into an institution that we all can take pride in.

In truth, beyond the bonds of friendship and brotherhood that I’ve highlighted above, there’s a lot more that binds us together as far as the NBA is concerned. By virtue of our ranks, we’re all leaders of the profession and each of us is eminently qualified to lead the Bar – at least, that’s what I believe in regard to you two. Indeed, our Election Manifestoes shared some common features with the difference being only in the modalities and strategies for achieving those common objectives. Our three Manifestoes, for example, talked about welfare issues for lawyers, not least, the young lawyers, we all talked about an inclusive Bar where there’ll be standing room for all lawyers irrespective of gender, age, ability/disability etc. and we also talked about giving voice to the voiceless and the promotion of the rule of law, amongst others.

These and much more were our common agenda items during the elections and I believe that the Bar will be greatly enriched if we were to join hands to achieve these and several other goals that we so beautifully articulated in our respective Manifestoes. Just think of it: can you imagine what pride we bring to Eastern Nigeria and indeed the profession if we were to work together along these lines, and, God being on our side, we achieve great things for the NBA during my tenure as the President of the NBA? In two years, we’ll jointly be the toast of the Bar and indeed of Nigeria if we seize this moment. I truly request you to think of my proposition even as I look forward to the opportunity of sitting with you, jointly or separately, to advance and flesh out such a course while harmonizing our thoughts in that regard.

I thank you for taking the time to read this “epistle” and look forward to an indication from you on the convenient time that I may call you, respectively, to advance discussions on these matters. Meanwhile, please, feel free to reach me by sms or whatsapp or e-mail. Do have a restful weekend and see you at the AGC.

Best

Paul Usoro, SAN

Senior Partner

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