NBA: Why Ikeja committee members must be sanctioned – Nwankwo

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Former Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Assocation (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Richard Nwankwo has called for disciplinary action against members of the Caretaker Committee of the branch for what he described as professional misconduct.

This, he said bordered on recklessness and total disregard of the provisions of the 2015 Uniform by Laws (UBL) resolutions and decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the national NBA directives and deliberately sabotaging the UBL and its wishes.

The caretaker committee members Nwankwo pointed out included Mr Bisi Ade Ademuwagun, Mr. Monday Ubani, Mr Adebamigbe Omole, Fausat Bakare and Carolyn Ibeh.

Nwankwo

Nwankwo said the committee upon assumption of office deviated from its original mandate in pursuit of a project designed to override the Uniform by Law, adding that the procedure and requirements for the conduct of an election were clearly spelt out.

Nwankwo who is also the President/Founder, Crusade for Justice, a human rights advocacy group explained that the caretaker committee, Ikeja branch was set up by the National Body of the NBA, when the Electoral Committee, earlier set up in June was dissolved.

According to him, the said meetings boldly resolved that the application and interpretation of the provisions of the UBL, particularly, article 6(3) of the said Law, should be largely retroactive.

The dissolution of the said committee he stated was as a result of series of orchestrated and fraudulently-engineered protests, against the constitution and make up of the said committee which according to him everybody knew would not be amenable to manipulations and questionable biases.

He noted that the caretaker committee was given three months to oversee the affairs of the branch including the task of conducting fresh elections into all the elective offices.

The caretaker committee upon assumption of office deviated from its original mandate in pursuit of an outlandish project designed to override the UBL, he stated.

“For the avoidance of doubt, article 15 (1)-(4), details unambiguously, the process of eligibility of candidates vying for any elective office

“On the other hand, article 6(3) of the UBL, 2015, clearly provides the conditions for qualification and eligibility for anyone to contest elections”, Nwankwo noted.

Nwankwo furthermore noted that by Article 17(1) and (4) of the UBL, 2015, the caretaker committee, in its added capacity as the Electoral Committee, had the mandate to give the branch, notice of the date of the election and the list of candidates for the election, 30 clear days before the official election date.

Nwankwo said that all necessary assistance was given to the said committee and its attention duly and severally drawn to the need to adhere strictly to the UBL.

This, he said was in addition to a clearly worded letter from the National body, specifically addressed to the committee in August mandating it to comply strictly with the UBL, particularly article 6(3), in the conduct of the elections at the Ikeja branch

He said that a second letter signed by the present leadership of NBA, was given to the caretaker committee, buttressing the need for total compliance and enforcement of article 63).

Nwankwo insisted that the committee was bent on rubbishing a clear directive of the NBA national in pursuit of a hidden agenda, designed to bastardise the sanctity of the UBL

Again, to rubbish the powers and image of the National body, and create an avenue for the instigation of crises otherwise peaceful branches.

Nwankwo therefore urged leadership of the national NBA to deal with these professional misconducts which he said demanded firmness and heavy sanctions.

According to Nwankwo, the Bisi Ade Ademuwagun-led caretaker committee had created a new constitution for itself to drive it’s personal agenda, new guidelines and new rules, for the forthcoming NBA Ikeja branch elections, very different and in violation of the guidelines

According to him, the committee did not stop at conducting the elections in breach of very clear directives from the national but issued a well circulated letter, rubbishing the letter and directives from the national.

“For a man who in 2016 rubbished the entire leadership of the NBA, to be called again to service, to be part of an election conducting panel, is simply mind boggling”, Nwankwo noted.

To all discerning minds, these were done to buy time in order to source a favourable interpretation that would allow the Caretaker Committee create a
leeway for their anointed candidate, who is roundly ineligible to contest.

The Committee deliberately ignored calls to release the list of eligible candidates.

At the said meeting, despite several reminders concerning the mandatory application of Article 6(3) to the committee, its response clearly
pointed to the fact that it was bent on not applying article 6(3) retroactively adding it was a targeted purpose.

This is an attempt to ridicule and rubbish the provisions of the UBL, the NEC resolutions and treat the directives of the National with unmitigated disrespect and disdain.

Despite the very clear directives contained in the official letters of the National, signed by the then secretary. Mr. Taidi, and dated the 5th of August, 2020, the Committee went ahead and cleared the said Mr. Seyi Olawunmi, to run for the office of the chairman of the Ikeja Branch. What a reckless affront?

Nwankwo therefore urged the NBA national president to set in motion, appropriate disciplinary machinery, to seriously investigate these complaints and take drastic steps to arrest the negative evolving culture of lawlessness, impunity and recklessness targeted at ridiculing the NBA and its leadership.

He also charged the national body to interrogate the growing menace and professional rascality of lawyers challenging the authority of the national at the slightest provocation, disdainfully disregarding and rubbishing the office of the NBA president and the entire Executive.