The embattled chairman, Mr. Mobolaji Ojibara, who was impeached by a faction of the branch on Monday rejected the impeachment and declared that all members of the immediate past executive had been suspended indefinitely.
But speaking with newsmen yesterday, the immediate past vice-chairman of the branch, Dr. Abdulkadir Abikan described the purported suspension as “garage brigandage”, adding, “It amazes me that lawyers behave like garage people”.
He said apart from the fact that the branch’s bye-law does not make provision for suspension, the NBA’s constitution stipulates procedure to be followed in sanctioning any erring member.
He said as stipulated by Section 17 of the NBA constitution, any member facing disciplinary committee of the Bar must be given opportunity to defend himself or herself and that such was not done in this matter.
He maintained that impeachment of the chairman stands “because sponsors of the impeachment motion gave him two weeks to respond to allegations levelled against him but he failed to defend himself. What is very clear is that it was garage brigandage that was exhibited yesterday. Those who served Mobolaji Ojibara impeachment notice gave him two weeks. That is what is called fair hearing in law. The same fair hearing requires that if you are going to make allegations that would justify suspension of an individual, it has to go through procedures of our law”.
Ojibara had said on Monday that the members were suspended for “suspected false and fraudulent accounting and for their respective roles in causing the branch unprecedented financial embarrassment and loss in the guise of reconstruction of the bar centre”.
Meanwhile, a member of the council of elders, Dr. Alarape Salman, in a chat with Daily Trust urged parties in the crisis to forgive one another.
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