We have obtained a statement by George Fortune Igbikikuno, Esq., Former Publicity Secretary, EBF, querying NBA President’s handing of the proposed Constitutional Amendment.
Must every NBA President amend NBA Constitution to suit his aim? Why not amend the constitution in his first year in office, why give his successor a live snake and switch off the light?
Below is the statement;
RE: PRESIDENT OF THE NBA, MR. OLUMIDE AKPATA’S WAR OF ATTRITION AGAINST THE GENERAL SECRETARY, MRS. JOYCE ODUAH, WHY IS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EASTERN BAR FORUM DELIBERATELY SILENT!*
The Nigerian Bar Association is the umbrella body of all lawyers in Nigeria and its National Executive Council comprises 12 Members who principally include the President and General Secretary that are akin to the principal organs or arms of the Association.
Recently, it has become conspicuously clear to even the physically challenged that the learned President of the NBA, Mr. Olumide Akpata has become intolerant and belligerent towards the General Secretary of the NBA, Mrs. Joyce Oduah, who to the best of her knowledge, has consistently, professionally, predicated on integrity and transparency and in line with the Constitution of the NBA, faithfully been discharging her duty.
In line with the Section 25 (1) CNBA, 2020 (as amended), where the National Executive Council Meeting decides on amendments to the Constitution, the records of such amendments shall be transmitted to the General Secretary of the NBA 60 clear days to the NBA/AGC and the General Secretary of the NBA shall dispatch Notice of the Amendments to the CNBA to all lawyer/members of the NBA/AGM, 30 clear days to the NBA/AGC. It is apposite to unequivocally state that the 60 days Notice of the transmission of the records of amendments was substantially not complied with and this correspondingly affected the compliance of the General Secretary’s Office with the 30 days Notice to all members of the NBA/AGM, which is clearly not the fault General Secretary of the NBA.
The General Secretary of the NBA, Mrs. Joyce Oduah is a bona fide member of the Eastern Bar Forum and the learned Members of the Forum overwhelmingly voted for her without prejudice to the votes of our learned Colleagues from other parts of the country. Why is the leadership of the EBF conspiratorially silent on the unconstitutional and dictatorial attacks by the leadership of the NBA on the General Secretary?
If my memory serves me well, the leadership of EBF did not waste any time in the demand for the learned Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanikpekun, SAN to recuse himself in view of the huge scandal involving his Law Firm and the same leadership of the EBF has chosen to keep mum over the persecutions of a sterling, forthright, rule of law-friendly, astute, professional, integrity-endowed, brilliant, intelligent, transparent and respecter of authority General Secretary of the NBA. What exactly is the problem?
Or are we to infer the following:
1) Why is the President of the NBA holding to ransom the innocent General Secretary of the NBA who is not responsible for the non-compliance with the 60 days rule and enshrined in the CNBA?
2) Is the EBF saying the General Secretary is no longer its member?
2) Has the EBF, in violation of the principles of fair hearing, taken sides with the leadership of the NBA?
3) Why was the leadership of the EBF quick to demand for the recusal of the BOB Chairman but has been conspiratorially silent on the persecutions of the General Secretary of the NBA? Is this a clear case of double standards?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander and what goes around comes around. An Elder cannot comfortably sit down and watch a pregnant goat putting to birth tethered.
©George Fortune Igbikikuno, Esq.,
Former Publicity Secretary, EBF.
