The Rivers State Government has queried the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Cordelia Eke over her role in the joint statement by NBA Rivers Chairmen which indicted the controversial Rivers State Sole Administrator, retired Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the eight chairmen of NBA branches in Rivers State had in a unanimous and joint statement berated the Sole Administrator for going against his mandate and the rule of law, even as they urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly “to take necessary steps to rein-in the Sole Administration in Rivers State and ensure he keeps within the mandate given to him on his appointment, to save Rivers State from further crisis.”

Apparently peeved by the communique, the State Government has now issued a query to Eke to explain her role in the issuance of the statement. Some analysts see Eke, a respected jurist, text writer and Director in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, as a “soft target,” given that she is perhaps the only civil servant among the group of Rivers NBA Chairmen who signed the communique.

In an ominous hint that may indicate that the NBA chieftain’s fate is sealed, the query, signed by one Ebiriemg Deresima, the Director of Administration in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Solicitor-General & Permanent Secretary in the ministry, warned that “full disciplinary actions” may include “dismissal.”

In a clear indication that the query was activated by the Rivers State Government, the Solicitor-General & Permanent Secretary wrote in the query dated 25th April, 2025, that “Information made available to the Administrator of Rivers State on 23rd day of April, 2025 indicates that you co-authored a communique accusing the Administration of “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity” and “unconstitutional dismantling of democratic institutions and attacks on peaceful protesters.”

Continuing, the Government stated that Eke’s co-authorship of the communique in her role as NBA Port Harcourt Chairman and criticism of the Sole Administrator “is quite unbecoming of a civil servant,” adding that it is “a flagrant disregard of Public Services (sic) Rules No. 100421 sub (b), (c) and (d) which prohibits a civil servant from contributing to publish, speak in public, broadcast or allowed himself to be interviewed or express any opinion for publication on any question of a political or administrative nature or on a matter affecting the administration, public policy etc. of the state without prior permission.”

Sounding the ominous signal, the Solicitor-General & Permanent Secretary wrote: “In the circumstance, I am directed to request you to explain in writing why full disciplinary actions, which include dismissal, should not be taken against you in line with Rules 100302 and 100306. Your representation if any, should reach the Solicitor-General & Permanent Secretary within Forty-Eight hours from the date of this query letter.”

Reputed as one of the best-performing NBA chairmen, having been elected as the pioneer female chairman of the influential Port Harcourt branch, Eke has been widely praised by stakeholders for her populist and welfare-centric programmes.

CITY LAWYER observes that the query again raises the thorny issue of participation of public service lawyers in the governance of NBA, their umbrella association.

While the NBA Constitution bars public service lawyers from certain NBA posts, such lawyers are free to vie for the post of NBA branch chairman.

The Afam Osigwe-led Nigerian Bar Association is yet to react to the query.