There are divergent responses to an attempt by a section of members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) ostensibly with ‘like-minds’ to form a new faction with the aim of protecting their interests as encapsulated under Section 40 of the Constitution.
A statement signed by Barrister Nuhu Ibrahim, Esq and Abdulbasit Suleiman Esq on Friday said the recent rumblings from the NBA left much to be desired within the ranks of concerned lawyers, especially from the northern part of the country.
Northern lawyers form new association, accuse NBA of peddling sectional interests
“What has been happening recently has exposed the inability of the NBA to manage and contain the heterogeneity of its members as well as their various interests.
“Its penal powers have been deployed discriminatively on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism.
“As a body of lawyers who have undergone training towards ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights and liberties, the NBA is supposed to live above sentiments, regionalism and discrimination on any basis and of any kind.
“Therefore, the NBA cannot afford to be seen not to be upholding the rights and freedom of its own members if at all, it should be seen to be practicing what it preaches.
“As the Hausa saying goes: ‘Idan Kura tana maganin zawo, ta yi ma kanta’ (If Hyena has cure for diarrhea, let her use it for herself).
“The new Nigerian Bar Association has been watching the activities of the NBA, an association we all looked forward to joining with high hopes before being called to the Nigerian bar, forcing idiosyncrasies of a few on the majority of its members, especially in recent times.”
He noted that members of the new NBA had commenced consultations with senior lawyers of northern Nigeria extraction and those practicing therein with a view to constituting the trustees and for the purpose of fixing a date for the formal inauguration of the association.
It would be recalled that after the association rescinded its decision to invite Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to its national conference which ended Friday, some members, especially in the northern part of the country, had expressed indignation, threatening to pull out of not only the conference but the association in its entirety.
– Chapters divided as Akpata becomes new president –
But reactions from various state chapters of the association indicate that they are not all on the same page on the division, just as the main body of the NBA Friday inaugurated Olumide Akpata Esq as its new president following the conclusion of its 60th Annual General Conference (AGC).
Akpata was sworn in as the 30th elected president of the association yesterday by the outgoing president, Paul Usoro (SAN), following which the past executive was dissolved.
In his inaugural address, Akpata said his election was “divinely orchestrated by the Lord Almighty” and promised to unite the divided bar and extended his hands of fellowship to his fellow contestants, Dele Adesina (SAN) and Babatunde Ajibade (SAN).
“I am also not unaware of very recent events and agitations that have tended to divide our bar along regional and religious lines.
“This is rather unfortunate for an egalitarian association like ours.
“The bar that I want to lead henceforth is one that is united on all fronts and that recognises that our diversity is, perhaps, our greatest strength.
“I plead with all Nigerian lawyers to bear this philosophy of unity in mind as we commence a new journey together today,” he said.
“This enormous task cannot be achieved if we continue to fan the embers of division at a time when we desperately need to unite and speak with one firm voice.
“We must be kind, magnanimous, respectful, and sensitive in our words and actions, as doing otherwise would be a great disservice to our vision of building a stronger and formidable bar.
“Now is the time to come together because a divided bar is a defeated bar.”
He announced a 12-member electoral reform committee, while promising enhanced welfare for lawyers, capacity building and protection of rule of law and fundamental human rights of Nigerians.
– Bauchi boycotts conference, to decide next step –
The Bauchi State chapter boycotted the conference over the withdrawal of El-Rufai’s invitation.
The state secretary, Shamsuddeen Magaji Esq, who disclosed this in a telephone interview, said the branch resolved to boycott the conference over failure of national leadership to rescind the decision and apologise to its members for reaching an unpopular decision which affected the hard-earned image and integrity of the association as an impartial umpire.
“Initially, we registered with the intention to participate in the conference but we decided to boycott it and that is our stand.
“We will not take any further action on the issue until after our congress when we will take the next line of action,” he said.
– Nasarawa not pulling out –
The chairman of the association in Nasarawa State, Barrister Mustapha Sadiq, in response to a Daily Trust inquiry, said, “No, I am not pulling out of a united bar.
“The current NBA is what keeps us united as lawyers.
“Those yearning for split are not doing it in good spirit, they want to politicise the bar in order to actualise their selfish interests.
“I did not boycott the conference.
“In fact, I followed the event session by session and meaningful contributions were made for the development of the bar and the nation at large.
“NBA is my stronghold, it’s a symbol of unity.”
The chairman of the state branch of Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria(MULAN), Barrister Isah Hassan Nalaraba, said, “To this moment, I am not officially aware of any agitation by any group of lawyers to pull out of the NBA.
“I am one of those who boycotted the NBA conference this year, even though I registered.
“I am still a member of the NBA and the Legal Adviser of the NBA, Lafia Branch.”
Another lawyer, Barrister Joseph A. Kigbu, said, “I’m not pulling out notwithstanding my dissatisfaction with the NBA with regard to the saga.
“Forming a new group out of protest is just a cosmetic therapy, in other words, is tantamount to treating malaria instead of eliminating mosquitoes or better still vacating your house because of a temporal invasion of bees.”
Another lawyer, Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Danmama, said, “I am not pulling out of NBA yet, I am undecided, but I boycotted the conference.”
– No decision yet by Zamfara –
The Zamfara State chapter hasn’t taken any decision to form a parallel body, the immediate past chairman of the association in the state, Barrister Bello Muhammad Galadi, told Daily Trust on Friday.
Galadi, one of the executive members of the current NBA leadership in the state, said he was part of every decision taken by the association, adding that their members participated in the virtual NBA conference.
However, Barrister Bello Galadi said they had made their position known that the decision taken by the National Executive Council members of the NBA to disinvite El-Rufai was wrong.
Kano lawyers fully behind NBA-Branch chairman
In Kano, it was gathered that lawyers that are part of the NBA fully participated in the virtual annual conference.
The chairman of the branch, Aminu Gadanya, esq., told our correspondent that lawyers in the state were fully behind the national body.
“We participated in the NBA conference, nothing like boycotting or separating from the national body.
“We learnt it’s just two young lawyers from Kaduna that issued that statement,” he added.
– Proposal a good option, but — Dutse branch –
Garba Abubakar, the chairman of the Dutse, Jigawa state branch, who had earlier threatened to boycott the conference, told Daily Trust that he just saw the information in circulation in various media outlets, but that the branch had not been consulted by the organisers of the new association.
Asked if the branch would consider joining should they be consulted, Abubakar said, “It’s a good option but one has to weigh the outcome and it is something you cannot make judgment on until you consult the members of the exco and the congress at large.”
– Purported faction a distraction — Plateau chair –
The Plateau State chairman of the NBA, Barrister Yakubu Bawa, said the purported emergence of another faction of the association due to the El-Rufai issue is just a distraction.
Speaking with our correspondent on phone, he said the detractors were embarking on a futile exercise, and that people should not mind them.
“We don’t even want to recognize them.
“They are just making an empty noise.
“Every lawyer has right to exercise his or her freedom of association.
“If they feel they don’t want to belong to our noble, formidable and enviable NBA, it is their choice to do so.”
– An exercise in futility — Borno –
The chairman, Borno State chapter, Abba Mallam Umate Esq, said the decision to withdraw El-Rufa’i’s invitation was reached at a NEC meeting after a resolution by majority of the members.
He said though the minority in the meeting had the right to voice their stand, the will of the majority prevailed.
When asked whether or not the branch was aggrieved about the decision of the national body and would pull out from it like its counterparts, he said the branch had not deliberated on the matter yet.
He said, “Any decision we are going to take against the NEC is going to be an action in futility.
“You can only take a position on the issue in the next NEC meeting.”
– No decision by Kebbi NBA –
The secretary of Kebbi State chapter of the NBA, Barrister Aminu Hassan, said state chapter was yet to take any stand on the matter, adding that they were aware of the movement but were not been formerly contacted.
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