CAVEAT: I am a member of Recreation and Sports Committee of the NBA and before this, I was a member of NBA Anti-Corruption Committee.
As an insider, I say; most lawyers are made members of committees as reward for supporting the candidature of the President and helping him emerge. Some even ferociously lobby for it; some tell aspirants that they would support them, if they are made Chairman or Secretary of XYZ Committee.
Most of those, who fight NBA President in any dispensation, often do so, not in the best interest of constructive criticism and the Bar, but because they were not included in any Committee.
On the face of it, every worker, is entitled to wages his sweat excreted.
NBA is too big to function optimally without Committees but how effective are these Committees beyond quarterly coming to NEC to present reports of functions they carried out of days mapped out by UN, to celebrate UVW action?Are impact of these Committees, felt by members of the Bar, whose interests were the paramount consideration in setting up these Committees?Apart from membership of committee as patronage, it is also for strategic positioning to be eligible to contest for any office in NBA, especially the office of Mr. President. Appointment as Chairman and Secretary of a Committee, is the shortest route to becoming a member of NEC, which gives you a lifeline to aspire for anything in NBA.
Committee Chairmen, use their position to tour round NBA Branches in the pretence of advancing their Committee’s work but once podium is given to them at any Branch’s meeting; the political animal in them springs up and Committee work, after 32 seconds mention during introduction, is forgotten and “campaign” begins.
If I were the NBA President, any Committee’s Chairman or Secretary, who declared interest to contest and goes about consulting for any post, should be relieved of his or her Committee membership.
Same should be applicable to Exco members. Many Exco members trying to step up the ladder, while consulting, drops the President’s name; some boldly lie that they were sent to the Branch by the NBA President as a representative to give goodwill message and would report back to the NBA President that Branch ABC is doing well and keeping with the tradition of the Bar.
