NBA ABUJA BRANCH: WHEN GRAY HAIR BECAME A SYMBOL OF RASCALITY.
By Sadiq Umar Esq.
I hitherto thought that gray hair is a symbol of wisdom, soundness in knowledge and truthfulness. I also hitherto thought that when real African gray hair is spotted on the head of a Lawyer, it symbolizes soundness in reason, logic and law until I came across an unfortunate document titled “THE MEETING OF THE NBA ABUJA BRANCH(UNITY BAR) ELDERS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD AT NO. 2 TANGA STREET, WESE ZONE 6, ABUJA ON 22/06/2016”. The document signed by Ikechukwu Ezechukwu SAN and Patrick Okolo SAN, contained so much illogicalities that a person not knowing the two Senior Advocates will wonder whether the SAN title their names bear relates to any other profession but law. It is such a shame that persons that have attained the enviable life state of being regarded as elderly will append their signatures to a document fit only to be made by touts and rascals. The document is not only illogical but illegal, mischievous, ignorant and totally unwarranted. It is devoid of any sound reasoning, procedure or standard practice. It is sad that elders can lie and twist stories for pecuniary reasons. REALLY SAD!!!
THE UNFORTUNATE ELACHI AGADA REGIME AND THE IGNOBLE SILENCE OF THE ELDERS
IT is not my intention to bore anybody up with the unfortunate events, illegalities and absurdities that characterized Elachi Agada regime, but this response won’t be complete without a brief mention of the events of that regime.
Throughout the whole of Elachi Agada’s time as chairman of the Branch, not a single part of the NBA Bye Law was obeyed. Mr Agada being urged by majority of those whose name appeared on the document above mentioned constituted themselves into principalities and powers and ruled the Branch to their whims and caprices.
Article 12(1) of NBA Uniform Bye Law cited in the document above referred provides:
“The supreme authority of the Branch shall be vested in the General Meeting whose decision on all matters affecting the Branch shall be final.”
Article 12( of same Bye Law further provides thus
“Decisions at any General Meeting shall be by a show of hands, unless a secret ballot is directed by the Chairman or demanded by at least 10 (ten) financial members.”
The above provisions of the bye leave no one in doubt, except possibly compromised “Elders”, on how decisions are to be taken at the Branches of the NBA
But Mr. Agada took all decisions in his regime without consulting the general meeting. These decisions ranges from finance to administration. Chiefs among Mr Agada’s illegal , unfortunate and dictatorial decisions include but not limited to the following:
1. Mismanaging the Branch Bank Accounts and opening of a new Bank Account without any discussion and approval by the General meeting. Two members of his executive committee wrote a petition to the general meeting concerning these financial misdeeds of Mr Agada but the Petition was withheld by Mr Agada in Collusion with Mr Kola Omotinugbon the Secretary.
2. Single handedly Co-opting four of his political associates including his Partner in Chamber and Our former General Secretary, Mr Emeka Obegolu into the Branch executive committee and ruling out any discussions on it.
3. Single handedly nominating an arranged Auditor for the branch and ruling out any discussion or question on the competence or otherwise of the Auditor.
4. Purporting to Suspend the Publicity Secretary, Mr Joseph Silas Onu from the executive committee of the Branch even when the of the general meeting objected to such rascality.
5. Illegal appointment of his close friends and Political associates who rarely attend Monthly branch meeting as the election committee members for the 2016 Branch Election with the mandate to return a particular candidate against all odds.
6. Arresting and detaining the one of his executive committee member at the police Command headquarters without the approval or notice to the general meeting.

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7. Master-Minding the doctoring of the minutes of meetings in other to qualify his anointed candidate Mr Victor Ekim who attended monthly meetings only twice in the last year and wasn’t qualified to run for the office of the Chairman of the Branch.
8. Deliberately not keeping proper records of monies accruing to the Branch in order to embezzle unreported donations.
9. Approval of Seven Million Naira for Otunba Dele Oye for search at the AGIS without putting the decision to vote even when majority at the general meeting was against it.
10. Refusal to put decisions to vote even when demanded by the majority at the general meeting.
11. Refusal to apply NEC resolutions including conducting election for members in June for Abuja Branch.
These and many others Acts of the Agada administration too numerous to mention here happened and the most unfortunate part of it was the ignoble silence of the “Elders”. The advisory committee did nothing to call Mr Agada to order and in many instances supported his illegal Acts Openly. The youths spoke up even under threat from compromised “Elders”. We spoke up and finally election was done against Mr. Agada’s wish.
It is important to note that the “Elders” that produced the rascally document above referred were all aware of the existence of Article 12(1) & ( of the uniform bye law but supported these illegalities.
THE COMPROMISED ELECTORAL COMMITTEE DEPLOYED TO RETURN MR VICTOR EKIM AS CHAIRMAN AGAINST ALL ODDS.
The electoral committee set up by Mr Agada had in it two of his notorious friends, Mr Abdul Ibrahim and Mr Steve Emelieze, as members. Two men with a very bad reputation of easy compromise within the branch members and Abuja residents. The committee ignored all the provisions of the bye law relating to election. Particularly, the committee ignored Articles 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 of the NBA uniform bye Law. The committee in collusion with Mr Agada and the Secretary Mr Kola Omotinugbon doctored the minutes of meetings in other to qualify Mr Victor Ekim who was not qualified to contest. The committee smuggled in the name of Mr Chinedu Obienu who never purchased nomination form at the close of nomination to contest for the position of secretary. The committee disqualified Mr Ezenwa Anumnu, the most popular candidate in the election on no reason at all.
THE BRANCH ELECTORAL MONITORING COMMITTEE AND THEIR DECISIONS.
Article 7(5)(h) of the NBA constitution provides that The National Executive committee(NEC) of the Nigeria Bar Association shall:
“Generally exercise all the powers vested in the Association (except those powers reserved for an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meetings of the Association) so as to promote and carry out the aims and objects of the Association as contained in this Constitution, and in particular, when the need arises, to apply for and receive donations on behalf of the Association.”
The National Executive committee (NEC) of the Nigeria Bar Association foreseeing the disregard of the Uniform bye law by Branch officers who have turned the bar into a full fledged profession and in exercising its powers as provided by Article 7(5)(h) by a unanimous resolution at its Jos Plateau State meeting in February 2016, set up the Branches Electoral Monitoring Committee with express powers to override any Branch electoral committee decision that did not comply with the uniform bye law. The monitoring committee was empowered to take petitions from aggrieved branch members and act on same as if they are the branch election committee.
Many petitions rose from the illegalities perpetuated by the Abuja Branch Election committee. The Monitoring committee acting within its powers sent the petitions to the Branch election committee for response. The Branch election committee ignored the Monitoring committee and never responded to the petitions.

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The monitoring committee acting within its powers, resolved all the petitions and cleared Mr Ezenwa Anumnu and Mr Lawrence Erewele to stand for chairman and secretary unopposed having disqualified Mr Victor Ekim for failure to attend requisite number of meetings required to contest for the office of the chairman.
But in a brazen twist, and in a ridiculous bid to attain a predetermined goal, the Branch electoral committee declared their independence from the NEC and their immunity to NEC decisions, and went ahead with 4 members( Their Chairman having resigned) and did an election for already disqualified but anointed candidate Mr Victor Ekim. This absolute illegality was fully supported by Mr Agada and the imposter Chairman was sworn in by no other but Ikechukwu Ezechukwu SAN. Mr Ezenwa Anumnu was earlier sworn in by a notary public being unopposed.
NEC MEETING AND RESOLUTION IN BENIN EDO STATE
At the last NEC meeting held in Benin Edo State, the Branches electoral monitoring committee reported events in Many branches including Abuja. NEC resolved and admitted Ezenwa Anumnu and Lawrence Erewele as the Chairman and Secretary of Abuja Branch respectively. NEC further wrote to all authorities concerned a notice of the resolution.
THE ILLEGALITY OF THE ELDERS/ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Article 10(1)(a) of the uniform Bye Law provides thus:
“The following Standing Committees (“Committee”) shall be established for the Branch by the General Meeting:
(1) Advisory Committee:
(a) Shall consist of all past Chairmen, past Secretaries, Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the Branch, Benchers, Professors of Law and five (5) co-opted members;
(b) Shall advice the Executive Committee of the Branch.”
Article 19(2) further provides as follows:
“Except otherwise resolved at a General Meeting, all Standing and Ad-hoc Committees of the Branch shall automatically become dissolved upon the swearing-in of the new elected officers.”
The community reading of the above two provisions, will clearly show even to a layman that as at this moment, No standing committee is in existence within the branch as the branch have not had its first post election general meeting. How this simple and straight point of Law escaped the attention of two SANs is mysterious heightening the suspicion that the two “Elders” may be on a “stomach infrastructure” mission. The Elders/Advisory committee is an illegal committee if it acts as part of NBA. As can be seen from the attendance, it is an assemblage of the relics of an unfortunate and embarrassing ELACHI Agada regime. That it purports to challenge and disregard a resolution dully passed by NEC makes their action more ridiculous and embarrassing.

DIRRECT RESPONSE TO THE EMBARASING DOCUMENT
While I consider the document worthless, I will nevertheless respond to its contents to clarify issues.
A look at the attendance shows 11 persons came for the meeting as the others objected to such illegal gathering and thereafter left the venue.
IKECHUKWU EZECHUKWU SAN: He was the notary public that disregarded NEC resolution and swore the impostor Mr Victor Ekim in as Chairman. He also sponsored the court case where Mr Ekim is Suing Mr Ezenwa.
PATRICK OKOLO SAN: A known ally of Mr Agada.
OLUMUYIWA AKINBORO SAN: A known ally of Mr Agada. He is notorious for being indicted of sexually molesting the female staffs of the NBA national secretariat when he was the General Secretary of NBA in a report submitted by a fact finding committee.
STEVE EMELIEZE: Notorious for being Mr Agada’s hatchet man. He was also the chief campaigner of Mr Ekim during the election even when he was also a member of the Branch Election committee.
VICTOR EKIM: Was the unqualified but Mr Agada’s anointed candidate.
DELE OYE: Mr Agada’s partner in crime. He was rewarded with 7 million naira unapproved to do land search at AGIS.
ABDUL IBRAHIM: Notorious for being easily compromised. He was part of the electoral committee that was mandated to return Mr Victor Ekim.

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KOLA OMOTINUGBON: Immediate past secretary of the Branch and Mr Agada’s Partner in crime.

I did this brief introduction of the members so that the attendance of the illegal committee can be seen for what it is by an observer. If these persons I did brief introduction on are disqualified by their obvious bias, an objective observer will add up the remaining members and compare the number with Article 10(1) of the uniform bye law. The ridiculous nature of the unfortunate document will then be better appreciated.
The shameful ignorance contained in the Paragraph titled “CHAIRMANS OPENING REMARKS” will be obvious when the provision of Article 16 of the NBA constitution is considered.
Article 16 provides:
“No aggrieved member shall resort to the court unless his/her complaint must have been considered and disposed off by the Dispute Resolution Committee; provided that such complaint of member shall be decided by the Committee within sixty (60) days of receipt of the complaint.”
It is unfortunate that the two SANs are pretentiously ignorant of this provision. Luckily for them, this response just reminded them of it. It is also important to clear the fact that there is no impasse at the leadership of the branch.
Again, the Elderly Chairman LIED when he said he made effort at securing the release of Mr Ezenwa Anumnu and Lawrence Erewele at the police Station. For clarity sake, Mr Ezenwa Anumnu, Mr Lawrence Erewele, Mr Amala Onyekwelu and Mazi Echika Ejido was invited to the police station at wuse zone 3. They honored the invitation and introduced themselves to the police, the police woman required them to write short notes on what they know of Mr Victor Ekim’s Accusation. They refused to write and Mr Victor Ekim called his sponsor, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu SAN, who came in company of Okolo SAN and specifically told the police that “THERE IS NO CHAIRMAN FOR NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ABUJA BRANCH”. It is upon this report that the police then insisted on keeping Mr Anumnu and 3 others unless they sign a bail bond.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE that an elderly person should lie so cheaply. They actually doubled the yoke of Mr Anumnu and co.
Nothing makes the document more ridiculous that the 3 resolutions purported to be reached. One wonders how this self appointed “Elders” committee resolved a petition that was written to the general house since February 2016 but was withheld until June 2016. The petition was never directed to them but the general NBA meeting. A real elder would have asked question why the petition was withheld.

Finally by authoring this document, the two signatories have dragged the SAN privilege to an unfortunate low. The rascality exhibited by the authors of this document is sad. That they have gray hairs and are lawyers with the highest privilege is mind boggling and something to worry every living lawyer.

DF!!!

How are my to read all these?

Too clumsy mehn, shit

Trouble makers everywhere !

Another Modu Sheriff in Abuja NBA.

Noise makers who see simple association more important than heaven !

When gray hair lawyers fights
Who will settle the matter

Who you think say go read this bible

It is unfortunate. If Elders can refuse to adhere to simple rules but rather resort to illegality is something very unbecoming of Legal practitioners. I hope NBA will settle this Abuja issue once and for all.