Dear Colleagues,
I trust and believe that we are all doing great?
This media post (https://kubwaexpress.com/2022/09/07/nba-nyanya-karu-branch-abuja-crisis-takes-turn-for-the-worse-forum-chairman-to-be-arraigned-for-criminal-misappropriation-of-funds/), got to me in the early hours of this moring and it was indeed disturbing and a mockery of how far we have come as a body.
Since we came into office I and my Exco have been personally responsible for the running and financing of the Forum which has now metarmophosed into a Branch.
The present Exco came into power at a time the Corona Virus was ravaging the Country and due to the above we had to suspend the collection of monthly dues.
We also had to personally support younger members of the Forum financially all through the pandemic
Till date we haven’t collected dues from any member(s) or received financial support from any individual(s) as everything we have done is from our personal pockets.
Even the just concluded NBA-AGC Conference wherein my humble self and Barr Ita Efa (our member) represented the new Branch at NEC Meeting was all from our individual pockets.
The airflights, hotelling and feeding was from our personal pockets as I refused to do any form of fund raising here despite several advice to so do.
The last NBA-SPIDEL Conference is also a case study wherein I personally sponsored 15 members to the Conference while a learned Senior Colleague not from our Branch also sponsored 13 young lawyers too.
You can also attest to the fact that it has been my humble Self, the Vice Chairman and the ever dependable Secretary who have been personally responsible for the hosting of all our meetings and get-togethers since our assumption of office.
I won’t stop anyone from going on smear campaigns but such people should be ready to answer for their actions at the appropriate time and venue.
You would also recall that at the time of our assumption of office that the former Exco refused to handover the records, account and financial records to allow us have a proper transition despite numerous appeals and calls.
We therefore had to proceed afresh as we had to start a new membership register and start the process of application for Branch status afresh and we thank God Almighty that our efforts came to a reality and we got the must desired Branch.
I had for long tried to cover up all the oppositions and schemings going on, underground by some persons (past exco members) who are hell bent on destroying whatever legacy this administration has struggled to achieve.
Till today the past Exco haven’t shown us records of how much they raised and how they spent the said funds so raised as nothing was ever handed over to us and yet this present Exco chose to ignore and forge ahead with the task of achieving a Branch rather than allow the matter destroy the new Branch.
When this whole issue started, you would recall that I had made several peace moves to unify all factions to the extent that Bar Elders even called for a meeting in Utako and Mr Magnus Onwukwe agreed and promised to step down and allow peace to reign but as always he reneged on his promise.
I had on three occassion made personal visits to their camp to see how we could work things out but rather than honour the visit in brotherhood they went online trying to use it against me saying:
“”that I came to beg”” ”
My silence hasn’t been out of cowardice but my silence was for the National Body not to see us as a divided body so that we don’t loose the Branch we have for so long fought to have.
I urge every member of this group to remain patient as we have always been as our Legal Team are on the matter and we intend to respond appropriately.
I heard that Mr Magnus Onwukwe who was the Vice Chairman of the last Exco told people in Court today that he would deal with me because I embarrassed him at the NBA-AGC when he was refused entry into NBA NEC meeting in Lagos.
I havent been able to verify the above comments and I therefore won’t take responsibility for it but let it be on record that I never at any point had any personal confrontation with him or any one else as I was at the NBA-AGC to represent the Branch and nothing more.
I was allowed into the venue as representing the Branch as Chairman of the Forum (now Branch) and if for any reason he was bounced at the entry point and refused entry he should have peacefully explained in what capacity he wanted to attend the said meeting and who he was representing as he surely wasn’t representing the Nyanya-Karu Branch of the NBA.
Then I ask again, if this is enough reason(s) to cook up such ill adviced Direct Criminal Complaint against me and post it all over social media with intent to bring my person to disrepute??
Let it be known that no man has a monopoly of social media Vavulence!!!!!!!!!
While I wouldn’t want to go the same route as those of us fanning the embers of disunity, I would categorically state that at this point of the existence of the new Branch, I would do whatever it takes within the Law and the fear of God Almighty to defend my name and the existence of the New Branch.
I had a discuss with Mr President this morning on this matter and his response left me in tears.
May we not loose the new Branch because of the selfish and evil intentions of a few individuals
Be rest assured that I won’t sit back and allow the new Branch to sink because of some selfish and self centered interest.
May God Almighty continue to bless and empower all supportive members of the great Nyanya-Karu Bar Forum(now Branch) in particular and the entire Members of the NBA at Large.
© Sir Augustine. E. Ibolo Esq (KSM)
Chairman
