MIDWEST BAR FORUM HAILS AKPATA, OTHERS ON TENURE

Goodwill Message of the Chairman of the Midwest Bar Forum -Chief G. C. Igbokwe SAN, FCIArb UK , Heralding the Commencement of the 2022-2023 New Legal

Good day our Noble Leaders , learned Senior advocates and my Learned Friends. Happy new legal year to you all.

As we have come back from our various vacation trips within and outside the country, I thank God almighty for His journey mercies, grace upon us and pray that He fortifies us with the strength and wisdom to face the challenges of the new legal year.

Last year was a mixture of sorrow and joy , but in all things we give glory to God. We congratulate our great ambassadors to the National Bar, in the persons of Olumide Akpata , Aipokpo-Martins and Kunle Edun who performed their duties creditably as President, 1st Vice President and Welfare Secretary respectively and for their smooth transition to a new National Executive Council (hereinafter called “Exco”). Despite a few distractions at the twilight of their tenure, posterity will remember as one of the best National Excos in the recent past and we remain ever proud of them.

We also congratulate our own Habeeb Lawal who won the National Publicity Secretary election and has resumed office with the new Exco. We also congratulate the new National Exco and pray that God almighty gives them the wisdom to improve upon the legacies of their predecessors .

On a sad note , we mourn the sudden death of the then Publicity Secretary of Benin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association – the Lion Bar , Ogaga Emonghware Esq. and send our sincere sympathies and condolences to his parents, young wife, children and siblings and pray God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. His demise should awaken our senses to the need to take our health issues seriously and rest whenever our bodies give us the signs to do so. It also teaches us the vainness of life which is not just vanity but vanity upon vanity.

I pray that we muster the courage to put all the personal and collective misgivings of the past behind us and forge ahead with matters that should unite, rather than divide us in our pursuit for the greater happiness and improved welfare for our members.

I thank you for your support and understanding with the Midwest Bar Forum Exco and assure you of our continued sincere peace and reconciliation efforts to bring back all members of Midwest Bar under this single forum.

Once again I wish you a happy and prosperous new legal year .

Chief G. C. Igbokwe SAN, FCIArb UK
Chairman,
Midwest Bar Forum (MWBF),
17/9/2022.

OGAGA’S BURIAL RITES START SEPT. 1, AKPATA VISITS FAMILY

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata today led a delegation to visit the widow and parents of Late Mr. Ogaga Emoghwanre in Benin City, Edo State.

Meanwhile, the Emoghwanre Family has fixed 1st, 2nd & 3rd September, 2022 for the funeral rites of the late Bar-man. 

In the president’s delegation was his wife, Mrs. Osayamon Akpata; the Acting NBA General Secretary, Uchenna Nwadialo; Chairman, NBA TCCP, Mr. Tobenna Erojikwe; Prince Asamah Kadiri, SAN; Ifueko Alufohai, Permanent Secretary in Edo State Government; Mr. Tolu Aderemi, Partner at Perchstone Graeys; Mr. Aderemi Oguntoye, Partner at Oguntoye & Oguntoye; Oludayo Olorunfemi, Secretary of Ekiti State Mortgage Board; members of the NBA Benin Branch, and several members of the Office of the NBA president.

Condoling the family, Akpata reassured them that Ogaga lived a life of meaning and impact. Said Akpata: “He impacted everyone he came across, hence the number of people who are with me on this visit. Ogaga was a brother indeed who will be greatly missed by all.”

Promising not to abandon the family, the NBA President pledged his support. “We will not leave you,” he said.

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ECNBA ISSUES FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES, ASHIMOLE DISQUALIFIED

The Nigerian Bar Association National Election Petitions Committee has now disqualified controversial NBA Publicity Secretary aspirant, Mr. Felix Ashimole aka Che Oyinatumba from participating in the forthcoming NBA Elections, paving the way for Messrs Ogaga Emoghawanre and Habeeb Akorede Lawal to slug it out for the post.

A document obtained by CITY LAWYER shows that the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) has also listed the canidates that will do battle at the elections.

The list is below.

ECNBA_FINAL LIST

https://citylawyermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ECNBA_FINAL-LIST.pdf 

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AUDACITY OF AKPATA’S WELFARIST STRIDES, BY OGAGA

In this article, OGAGA EMOGHWANRE, Secretary to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) National Welfare Committee x-rays the interventions of NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata in the area of lawyers’ welfare and argues that the reforms are evident for most lawyers to see

In a little over one year since the Olumide Akpata-led National Executives of the Nigeria Bar Association was inaugurated, there’s a sense of unanimity within the Bar, of the Administration’s various interventions aimed at repositioning the Bar, to its full stature. For a man whose audacity to aspire to lead the Bar was questioned by too many a critic, in the period leading to the historic election, it is gratifying that Olumide Akpata has arguably exceeded the expectations of members, and have restored hope and confidence, where doubt and disillusionment once thrived.

While some Lawyers; obviously in the minority, still beg to be proved beyond reasonable doubt of the giant strides of the Administration though, suffice it, to articulate, brevi manu some of these unprecedented interventions which is borne out of Olumide Akpata’s promise to leave the Bar much better than he met it on the night of his inauguration. I’m particularly concerned here with the aspects of his program relating to the welfare of members.

In my capacity as the Secretary of the Welfare Committee of the Association, ably led by the indefatigable Y.C Maikyau, SAN, I have had the privilege of being involved in the very tedious and arduous processes that have crystalised into a basket of welfaristic program, and should know.

Apparently guided by his “Making the Bar Work for All” vision, it is safe to say that Olumide Akpata has been burning both ends of the proverbial candle in delivering the popular mandate of Nigerian lawyers so much so that Nigerian Lawyers can now boast that the Association is alas, working for them.

From the fulfillment of his promise of two free pack of stamps to every financial member; to the health insurance package with Leadway Assurance which saw an increment of One Million to Two Million Naira to beneficiaries of deceased colleagues; to the ground breaking partnership with the National Health Insurance Scheme; the rejigging of the institute of continuing Legal Education to keep the list short, Olumide Akpata’s implicit commitment in the welfare of all category of lawyers within the Bar, is unassailable.

As laudable as these initiatives are, however, there’s a great concern around how many Lawyers have availed themselves of the opportunities inherent in some of them. A rather disturbing case of such apathy is the Law Pavilion-NBA partnership that is geared at providing legal resources to members in one suite, at incredibly affordable rates. This much, came to the fore, at the recently held Young Lawyers Summit in Ogun State, where yours Truly, had the privilege of addressing the audience on the diverse welfare program of the Olumide Akpata-led NBA.

It is indeed imperative I state that the recently concluded Young Lawyers Summit can be ranked as one of the most successful summit in recent times.

It may be recalled that the NBA recently entered into a highly negotiated partnership with Law Pavilion; the leading tech-driven legal solutions company to provide access to legal resources to various categories of legal practitioners in Nigeria through its Primsol app. The Primsol app, is a web-based legal archive which aggregates all Law Pavilion Legal contents and also gives access to external contents in the form of texts and journals that allows for a robust research experience within the legal system in Nigeria.

Courtesy of that partnership, all members of the Association who are between 1 to 7 years post-call (“Young Lawyers”) who had paid their bar practicing fees on or before 31st March 2021, will enjoy free access to primsol Law Pavilion Legal Search engine for one year while members of the Association from 8 years post-call and above who paid their Bar practicing fees on or before 31st of March 2021 will enjoy highly discounted subscription for one year.

There is however indications that the full benefit of this partnership have not been explored by members. This revelation came to light during the technical session on the Law Pavilion/Primsol partnership during the just concluded Young Lawyers Summit.

A situation where only about 7,942 Lawyers is said to have on-boarded as at 4th of October, 2021 certainly leaves much to be desired.
For a partnership billed to lapse on the 6th of October, 2022 the collective need to latch onto the opportunities provided by same, cannot be overemphasized. The place of research and learning in the work of any lawyer cannot be overstated. Indeed, a lawyer is as good as how much he is able to find the Law and deploy it in the interest of his/her client.

While we can expect even more value-adding welferistic programs from the Olumide Akpata-led NBA, within the remainder of its term, Lawyers; particularly young Lawyers cannot afford to isolate themselves from the huge benefits inherent in the various welfare undertakings made by the Administration. It does not only encourage it to explore more options of membership-reward, it drives the Association closer to Its commitment to its members and society at large.

Regards,

Ogaga Emoghwanre, Esq
Secretary, NBA National Welfare Committee.

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LAWYERS’ GROUP, EBUKA, NBA PUBLICIST HAIL AKPATA AT 48

A group of lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers for Welfare Advocacy (LAWFWA) has felicitated with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata on his birthday today.

NBA Benin Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ogaga Emoghwanre has also congratulated Akpata on his birthday, describing him as “a  quintessential gentleman, effervescent, intelligent, savvy, spruce, dapper and a stylish personality.”

In separate messages made available to CITY LAWYER, they prayed for greater success for the NBA President.

Meanwhile, popular lawyer and TV host, Mr. Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has also joined in the flurry of congratulatory messages to Akpata. In the message posted on his verified Twitter handle, he wrote: “Happy birthday my presido @OlumideAkpata !!! More wins boss Folded hands

Below are the messages:

LAWYERS FOR WELFARE ADVOCACY (LAWFWA) CELEBRATES THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT; OLUMIDE AKPATA ON THE OCCASION OF HIS BIRTHDAY.

The Lawyers for Welfare Advocacy wishes to congratulate the most innovative President of the bar in modern history; Olumide Akpata on the occasion of his birthday.

Sir, not only do you seamlessly adapt to addressing the emerging challenges from the persistent ones that we face in our country today, but you are also always striving to make things better with new approaches and such unfaltering determination and focus.

We therefore seize this opportunity to thank you for all of your amazing efforts in repositioning our dear bar, for your sagacity in making Nigeria better and for your pragmatic approach to addressing her numerous challenges for the betterment of all.

We wish you many happy returns today and always.

Happy birthday sir.

For: Lawyers for Welfare Advocacy
Ezekiel Ugwueze Esq.
National Secretary

OGAGA EMOGHWANRE, ESQ FELICITATES MR. OLUMIDE AKPATA, PRESIDENT OF THE NBA ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

Today is the oldest you have ever been and before it loses that privilege, I will attempt to eulogize your good self. Words may fail me in doing that, however, this eulogy is inextricably linked with verifiable facts.

Mr Olumide Akpata, before the day goes dim or lusterless, I want to say a huge Happy Birthday to you. You are a  quintessential gentleman, effervescent, intelligent, savvy, spruce, dapper and a stylish personality, I wish you all the best as you celebrate today.

Our President Sir, you are a man with a keen sense of beauty, a genius of the first magnitude, a man of transparent honesty, your amiable disposition, regal dignity and humility makes you a matchless colossus.

Today may be like any other day for some, but a special, glamorous and illuminating day for you. It is not the years of our lives that counts but the life of our years.

You are a man who breaks down barriers, explores new frontiers, sets records only to  break them.

You are  quintessential in all that you do, a leader par excellence. You are revolutionary and progressive in ideas.

To truly know you is to have a  piece of heaven as you are God’s hand on earth. Your philanthropy transcends mortal reasoning; a man with a heart of gold and accessible to all.

You are by every means a man of the people and loved by all. We are indeed blessed to have you around; a gift to humanity.

Mr Olumide Akpata is a detribalized Nigerian with a penchant for bringing everyone together. As a trailblazer who has shown light in so many ways, moreso as a unifying factor to lead the largest community of learned personalities in Sub Saharan Africa.

The internet is agog today, the 7th day of October, 2020 from both lawyers and non lawyers with so much encomiums and birthday wishes. This shows that the Support and acceptance that trailed your emergence as PRESIDENT of the NBA was vox populi and a testament of the fact that it was divinely orchestrated. 

As is true about life, some hard balls may be thrown at you at some point; some days are good and some are bad, pain is written on all our cards so we remember to value our good times.

But one thing I know is that you have the grace to always weather the storm.

There is no doubt and it is crystal clear that your vast knowledge is unprecedented and oceanic, these and so many of your stirling qualities endeared me to you and I am indebted to you with so much gratitude, thank you for all you have done and will still do.

Your birthday is an opportunity for me to express my sincere and unalloyed gratitude to you for everything.

My wish for you on your birthday is that you always be, happy and healthy.

May you live a prosperous and abundant life.

May God grant you more wisdom, knowledge and leadership prowess to pilot the affairs of our Association, the NBA.

Happy birthday once more sir. May this year bring for you all the graces you require to sustain the good works you have gained notoriety for.

Amen.

Cherish and savor the unprecedented love of God in your life and enjoy your Natal day to the fullest. God bless the President of Nigerian Bar Association Mr Olumide Akpata.

OGAGA EMOGHWANRE, ESQ.

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