NJETENEH

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Jan 04, 2022
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NBA ADMITS BPF CHARGES ARE HIGH, SAYS LAWYERS WILL GET REFUND

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has admitted that the charges being levied by Paystack for its services on the dedicated BPF Online Payment Platform “are relatively on the high side.”

The Olumide Akpata-led NBA has also vowed to engage the service provider for a downward review of the charges which currently range between N177 to a maximum of N863 for SANs and Benchers, adding that lawyers who already paid the high charges would be refunded.

In a statement by the NBA National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapulu Nduka, the bar association indicated that Paystack may have hiked the charges without its consent, noting that “It was our understanding that the fees chargeable on the payment of 2022 BPF would not be different from what was paid last year.”

The association stated that it has started engaging Paystack for a downward review of the charges and that once a resolution is reached, “the charges will be reduced and those lawyers who already paid the higher sum will receive a pro rata refund of the charges paid.”

It is recalled that former NBA Lagos Branch Treasurer and erstwhile Financial Secretary, Mr. Phillip Njeteneh had in an article in CITY LAWYER chided NBA for the high charges, wondering whether the association retains a portion of the charges.

Below is the full text of the statement made available to CITY LAWYER.

BAR PRACTISING FEES – NBA’S POSITION AND NEXT STEPS ON TRANSACTION COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ONLINE PAYMENTS

Dear Colleagues,

The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has read several commentaries, and also received numerous calls, regarding the costs charged by NBA’s long-standing service provider (Paystack) for settling transactions on the BPF Online Payment Platform.

To be sure, the common theme of the complaints is that the transaction costs are exorbitant and need to be reviewed downwards. We have taken on board all the complaints and now respond as follows:

1. The leadership of the NBA is open to all criticisms aimed at advancing our common cause, improving our processes/systems, protecting the interests of our members and overall, moving our profession forward. The NBA therefore welcomes and appreciates the concerns that have, so far, been expressed on this issue.

2. For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no increase in the amount payable as BPF. The transaction costs (ranging from a floor of N177 to a maximum of N863 for SANs and Benchers) that members are charged when they pay their BPF online are wholly and exclusively due to Paystack for its services. No portion of those costs are shared with, or remitted to, the NBA.

3. Indeed, upon our review of the fees charged by Paystack for similar transactions in the past, such as payment of 2021 BPF and payment of fees for the 2021 NBA-AGC, the leadership of the NBA agrees that the current charges are relatively on the high side. It was our understanding that the fees chargeable on the payment of 2022 BPF would not be different from what was paid last year.

4. On the basis of the above, the NBA has started engaging with Paystack to review the charges downwards. This engagement has however been impacted by the public holidays albeit we expect that the issue will be resolved shortly.

5. Once this happens, the charges will be reduced and those lawyers who already paid the higher sum will receive a pro rata refund of the charges paid.

We thank you for your understanding.

Dr. Rapulu Nduka
Publicity Secretary,
Nigerian Bar Association

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  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Jan 03, 2022
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  • Comments Off on BPF: EX TREASURER CARPETS NBA OVER ‘HIGH’ SERVICE CHARGE, URGES REVERSAL

BPF: EX TREASURER CARPETS NBA OVER ‘HIGH’ SERVICE CHARGE, URGES REVERSAL

Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch Treasurer, MR. PHILLIP NJETENEH has queried the “high” service charge for online payment of Bar Practice Fee (BPF).

In an article addressed to the NBA leadership, Njeteneh also decried the retention of Access Bank Plc as the sole agent-bank for payment of BPF, arguing that the present framework does not foster the welfarist agenda of the Olumide Akpata-led NBA.

NBA ONLINE PAYMENT CHANNEL & MONOPOLY – A REACTION TO DR. RAPULU NDUKA’s LETTER TO MEMBERS

Dear Dr. Rapulu Nduka
Nigerian Bar Association.

Re: MATTERS ARISING FROM THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED NBA PORTAL FOR PAYMENT OF 2022 BPF & OTHER RELATED ISSUES

Thank you for the letter above to members and thank you for the wonderful job your team under the leadership of our able President have been doing.

However, much as we praise you when you hit the bull’s eyes on our affairs we must at least let you know (even if we choose not to apply the knocks) when you hit us below the belt.

Just as you have brought out the bullet points of the benefits of this monopoly of channel of payment, let me equally echo some observations about this channel of payment which I was hoping to read from your letter above but which I did not see.

For starters, are you aware that there are complaints about the additional charges to payment under this channel?

For many, paying almost #500 additional as charges when there are better and less exorbitant charges available is something they don’t consider welfarist.

These high charges, are they an error like the error of the Senior Advocates/Benchers payment or these are charges that have come to stay?

These exorbitant charges, are they another form of revenue to the NBA to take care of its welfare packages for its members or this is a revenue solely going into the pocket of the service provider?

If this is a case of the former shouldn’t members be informed so they know they are contributing towards their welfare and if this is a case of the latter is that the best welfarist deal for the members & why must members be forced to to go the way of the most expensive?

Monopoly has never been a welfarist tool, instead it’s the opposite. We know you inherited a monopolistic tool in the name of only Access Bank as the sole Bank for payment of BPF after other Banks were dislodged, but continuing with that monopolistic route does not at the end different your welfarist agenda from the monopolistic rule of the past.

Yes it’s good to move with the tide but in moving with the tide your goal is taking your people safely to the shore and not your people floating ashore.

On this BPF collection it’s my humble opinion that your body language and welfarist agenda is that of an open system which allows for competition where service providers outdo themselves to serve us and not we locking ourselves from competition so a single service provider can feed fat on us.

Please let there be several service providers and channels, NBA is to big to be run as a monopoly when it comes to BPF. Let there be more Banks than a single Bank and let each come with its payment system and let members decide which Bank suites them best based on their payment system and ease of doing business. In 2016 NBA Lagos Branch introduced online payment along with direct payment in the bank. At that period the charges about #250 and there was complaint from members but the direct payment was still open.

Another advantage of having a welfarist leadership is that the leadership listens hence I believe you are reading and listening to the complaints members are making just a few hours into the new year, these complaints are not about to fade away, it’s only going to grow louder and larger and you can either prove your welfarist nature and have them resolved within your tenure or you can choose to manage the situation with rhetorics until your tenure comes to an end & it becomes the headache of next team.

Once again, I say well done to your team for how far you have come, there’s more to be done.

Good morning.

I remain

Philips Njeteneh
Just minding my business.

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  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Jan 23, 2021
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  • Comments Off on NBA LAGOS WRITES CJ, DEBUNKS FROSTY RELATIONS

NBA LAGOS WRITES CJ, DEBUNKS FROSTY RELATIONS

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch has debunked claims that it has a frosty relationship with the Lagos State Judiciary.

Reacting to a CITY LAWYER report on the matter, the Branch described the report as “false and misleading,” saying it “does not represent a true record of the deliberations at our last meeting, as falsely reported.”

In an online post to branch members titled “POINT OF INFORMATION!!!” and signed by the Branch Chairman, Mr. Yemi Akangbe, he stated that the branch has written to the Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba “in reaction to the said publication.”

Former Financial Secretary and Treasurer Emeritus of the branch, Mr. Phillip Njeteneh had while reacting to the CITY LAWYER report, said: “At the last Branch meeting the Exco, learned seniors & members generally expressed their frustration at the cold shoulders given the Branch by the Lagos CJ over the offer to help and overtures of the Premier Branch over the recent destruction of courts & court facilities.”

It is recalled that the Chief Judge had also debunked any frosty relations between the judiciary and the branch, saying that he has been unable to receive the branch leadership due to overarching schedules.

Below is the full text of the chairman’s statement:

POINT OF INFORMATION!!!
Dear Seniors/ Respected Members,

I hope this note finds you well.

You must have read with concern, a recent publication of an alleged “FROSTY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR BRANCH AND THE LAGOS STATE JUDICIARY” authored by City Lawyer, a blog said to be published by Mr. Emeka Nwadioke who happens to be a member of our Branch. I believe everyone present at the last Meeting of the Branch will attest to the fact that the report was inaccurate and misleading.

It is important to mention that whilst non members are permitted by us, if considered appropriate, upon request, to attend our meetings, our Branch meetings are exclusive to our members and deliberations at our meetings are privileged. A measure of confidentiality should therefore be associated with the meetings. Further the duly adopted minutes of our meetings are the only recognized record of deliberations at our meetings. Press coverage of our meetings should only be at our instance and not otherwise. We ask that City Lawyer and all other bloggers should respect the privacy associated with our meetings.

For your information, please see below, a letter to the C.J, in reaction to the said publication.

January 20, 2021

The Hon. Justice K. O. Alogba
The Chief Judge of Lagos State,
Chief Jusge’s (sic) Chambers,
High Court Complex, Ikeja,
Lagos State.

My Lord,

RE:ALLEGED FROSTY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NBA, LAGOS BRANCH AND THE LAGOS STATE JUDICIARY.
We have read, with astonishment and amazement, the report of the allegedly ‘frosty relationship’ between the NBA Lagos Branch and the Bench in Lagos State, especially your good self.

We write to inform you that the report by “City Lawyer blog” is false and misleading and does not represent a true record of the deliberations at our last meeting, as falsely reported.

In reporting to the Branch on the progress of collaboration between the Branch and the Bench regarding the unfortunate incidents that occurred at the High Court complex in Igbosere, we made the point that we had made proposals to your office offering assistance and had requested a meeting, but had so far been unable to secure an appointment.

Further to the above, we find the report of the existence of a ‘frosty relationship’ between the NBA Lagos Branch and the Bench to be driven by a desire for sensationalism on the part of the authors.

We anticipate that the report may have caused unnecessary embarrassment and we consider this unfortunate and regrettable.

Do please accept the assurance of our highest regards and respect, as we continue to await an opportunity to meet with you.

Yours faithfully,
Yemi Akangbe
NBA, Lagos Chairman.

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  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Jan 23, 2021
  • 1.14k
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  • Comments Off on LAGOS BAR-BENCH RELATIONS: TIME FOR ALUTA?

LAGOS BAR-BENCH RELATIONS: TIME FOR ALUTA?

In this article, PHILLIP NJETENEH, former Financial Secretary and Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch goes down memory lane on the controversy surrounding relations between the Lagos State Judiciary and the branch

IS NBA LAGOS WIRED TO BE PERPETUALLY IN OPPOSITION IN LAGOS?

I am forced to ask this question due to recent developments which are recurrent decimal in our branch history.

At the last Branch meeting the Exco, learned seniors & members generally expressed their frustration at the cold shoulders given the Branch by the Lagos CJ over the offer to help and overtures of the Premier Branch over the recent destruction of courts & court facilities.

A few days ago the CJ of Lagos during the visit to the CJ by Exco of NBA Ikeja Branch the CJ warmly welcomed the Exco and openly refuted the allegation that he shunned NBA Lagos Branch or that he was having any grudge with NBA Lagos Branch.

Such frosty relationship between the Bar & Bench relationship (Premier Branch & the Bench in Lagos) is not new. During the winding down days of Bola Tinubu tenure as Governor the state govt gave out coaster buses to NBA Branches in Lagos State and the Premier Branch was effectively excluded from that largesse.

During the tenure of Fashola (a lawyer & a branch member) half hearted efforts were made at correcting this but it yielded no result. I say ‘half hearted’ because I recall as the Branch Fin Sec under the Chairmanship of Milord Taiwo Taiwo I was among the few vocal ones insisting we give this matter a more serious push than we gave it then & what we got was the result if our half hearted effort – no bus.

During the tenure of Mr. Okoli SAN the Branch was denied use of the Foyer for our meetings which gave rise to further denials. That same period the Branch was ejected from the small office space it occupied at the Court of Appeal Lagos Division.

It’s on record today that Lagos Judiciary gave a piece of land to NBA Ikeja Branch to build its Bar Center & I equally recall that when Ikeja Branch were about to commence work on the building project the then Lagos CJ gave NBA Ikeja Branch N10,000,000 (that’s the highest amount Lagos CJ has given any Branch that I know of).

If at all, Ikeja Branch either as a Branch or it’s officers have given Lagos State Judiciary or past CJs more headache than NBA Lagos Branch will ever give it, yet we suffer more from the actions and inactions of various CJs of Lagos.

Again, the Premier Branch has been more docile about the actions & inactions of the Lagos CJs than Ikeja Branch with Lagos choosing to engage or dialogue which often enough leads to nowhere. Take for instance the last increase in fees by the Lagos Judiciary. Our Branch chose to engage and at the end of the day while we were waiting for engagement the increase had taken effect. We all know what happened in Osun State under similar circumstances.

We have been enjoying the Big Boys status and it’s time we ask ourselves ‘is this big boy status hurting our profession/practice or promoting it’?

Yes we host the grandest dinners, we host the loudest parties, we engage rather than ruffling feathers, we call the shots but how has this helped us in the long run?

Are we better off?

Could we be better off?

Should we do things differently?

It calls for deeper reflections.

Copyright 2020 CITY LAWYER. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the blog. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. 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.