CRISES

AKPATA BREAKS SILENCE, MEETS MAIKYAU OVER HANDOVER

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olumide Akpata has made a veiled reference to the crises that have dogged his tenure lately, saying that “It has been one hell of a ride, if I do say so myself.”

Akpata had taken to his verified Twitter handle (@OlumideAkpata) to announce his first official meeting with incoming NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN after the establishment of their separate transition committees.

In the post sighted by CITY LAWYER, the NBA President said: “Yesterday evening I held a meeting with the President-elect of the @NigBarAssoc, Mr. Y. C. Maikyau, SAN as our recently constituted Transition Committees brainstormed on how best to ensure a seamless handover.”

Akpata then added tersely, “It has been one hell of a ride, if I do say so myself.”

Akpata’s tenure has taken a turbulent turn lately. Aside from the controversies that arose especially with the troubled appeals process that came on the heels of the 2022 NBA Elections, Akpata has waged a running supremacy battle with the Body of Benchers (BoB) over the proposed amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act (Act).

While NBA and the Body of Benchers were still trying to carve a middle ground on the matter through the Mrs. Funke Adekoya Committee, Akpata sensationally wrote to the newly minted BoB Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, asking him to recuse himself over the Ms. Kunbi Ogunde professional misconduct saga.

CITY LAWYER had in an exclusive report cited a complaint by former Minister of Energy and Petroleum ministries, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia SAN over an email from Ogunde, a Partner in Wole Olanipekun & Co, allegedly soliciting to take over a brief his law firm was handling from his client, SAIPEM SPA. Following his demand for an apology, Wole Olanipekun & Co apologized for the debacle and disowned the Partner. NBA has since filed a petition against the embattled senior lawyer at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

The dust on the highly controversial matter has hardly settled when Akpata engaged in a highly publicized bust-up with the suspended NBA General Secretary, Joyce Oduah.

An attempt by Oduah to bounce back to her position has so far failed, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja refused to grant her prayer for interim reliefs, giving Akpata a slight breather. The matter has been adjourned to Tuesday for hearing of the Motion on Notice.

Stakeholders are divided on whether the twilight battles would signpost Akpata’s legacy as NBA President.

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  • Feb 25, 2022
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  • Comments Off on SCANDAL ROCKS LPDC AS ANOTHER MEMBER QUITS

SCANDAL ROCKS LPDC AS ANOTHER MEMBER QUITS

More crisis has rocked the embattled Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), an organ of the Body of Benchers, as another ranking member, Chief Ferdinand Orbih SAN has resigned from the august body.

In a resignation letter obtained by CITY LAWYER, Orbih stated that “My resignation stems from the events that took place at the meeting of the Body of Benchers on the 22nd November 2021, wherein, the Honourable Body assumed jurisdiction over the Petition of Lucius E. Nwosu SAN. Lucius Nwosu SAN in his Petition complained about the finding of the LPDC that a prima facie case had been made against him.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that the LPDC Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala SAN had sensationally resigned as Chairman of the LPDC, citing the same reason for his action.

Continuing, Orbih, the fiery Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP), said: “It is my humble view that by assuming jurisdiction over the said Petition, the Body of Benchers was in clear breach of Section 12 (7) of the Legal Practitioners Act, which provides that appeals in respect of decisions of the LPDC, can only be entertained by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Clearly, that section did not vest on the Body of Benchers, the power to seat as an appellate body over decisions of the LPDC.”

According to the respected senior lawyer, “The lawmaker gave the LPDC a great measure of independence because of the vital role it plays to ensure that the highest form of discipline is maintained amongst Legal Practitioners in Nigeria. That independence is obliterated when the Honourable Body brings the LPDC under its control and direction in clear violation of due process.”

“In the above circumstances, my continued membership of the LPDC has become untenable, as I can no longer in good conscience serve in that committee.

“I am therefore left with no other option, than to resign my membership of the LPDC. I am grateful to the Honourable Body of Benchers for the opportunity given to me, to be of service to the legal profession.”

Titled “NOTICE OF RESIGNATION AS MEMBER OF LEGAL PRACTITIONERS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE” and addressed to the Secretary of the Body of Benchers, the letter was copied to the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, past Chairmen, Life Benchers and Honourable Benchers. Dated February 24, 2022 the resignation also became effective from yesterday.

It remains to be seen how this gale of resignations will affect the operations of the troubled Committee.

 

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