By Pere Nduku Esq.
Mr. President, it is over four (4) months since the NBA IT Service Support firm Webitscure wrote to you requesting an audit/enquiry into the Cyber Attack on the NBA Official website and on the Company’s infrastructures, which you deliberately refused.
It is unfortunate that under your watch, the NBA’s reputation has deteriorated to a depth never witnessed before, exemplified by your sharing of adulterated truths, speculations, and blatant falsehoods during a recent Zoom meeting with our NBA Branch Chairmen, going against undisputed and accessible facts. https://fij.ng/article/chonoko-maikyau-exposed-nephew-to-sensitive-cybersecurity-information-now-nbas-website-has-been-compromised/
Instead of agreeing to the requested audit and independent investigation, despite the company’s repeated affirmation of its willingness to participate in a transparent and public inquiry, your plan seems to be to proceed with this spectacle of shame in order to maintain a façade. This display at our Association’s Pre AGC NEC involves fabricated accusations of fraud meticulously crafted to implicate the company and its staff. The objective appears to be to influence NEC members to adopt a prejudiced resolution endorsing clear and observable violations. Such actions, if taken without considering the facts and a fair hearing through an impartial inquiry, will only serve to further damage our Association’s reputation and subject it to public disapproval and mockery.
It spells doom that against wise counsel from notable and respected leaders of the Bar, you have chosen to embark on an ego trip, not minding the effects or consequences to our profession and its already battered image. This same company was publicly commended at the 2022 AGC for its exceptional professional services to the Association by the past administration and on same grounds you willfully retained it, but as it has become obvious to all, it was with ulterior motives to use its services to successfully collect the 2023 BPF, create clogs, refuse to pay and then give the company a bad name, which exactly is the situation today.
It is worthy to note and state clearly that your nephew, Mr. Solomon Magaji, at the inception of this contract held back to himself as kickback, some part of the monies that was supposed to be sent to the Company, but today he is being paraded as a saint before esteemed members of the Association with several twisted narratives, it is wondered how many more infractions an independent inquiry will reveal.
The question that every member of the executive of the NBA Unfortunately failed to ask is, “in what capacity did your nephew act in December 2022 when you directed him to pay the company for the hosting servers for the BPF payment portal (which he unceremoniously held sum of the money as kick-back until exposed)?” and also in what capacity was he accessing sensitive data of our members, changing access codes and creating clogs with cyber-attacks that affected BPF payment process?
Your threat to deal with the company and its directors is visible in the Cyber-attacks on the NBA Domain, the BPF Portal and several other infrastructures of the company, your refusal to pay it for services rendered and consumed, and the award of the subsisting contract of the company to your nephew after carrying out the hatchet job of disrupting payment of the BPF on the 31st of March 2023.
Ditto: several other essential services which have negatively impacted members of the Association abound, while false narratives are daily sold to members. An inquest into your activities will reveal the apparent conflict of interest in running the Association like it belongs to your family and insider dealings you indulge in, at the expense of the members and the Association’s good name and honour.
In addition to these concerns, and in spite of the counsel of Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and other respected leaders of the Bar, cautioning against the potential outcomes of your actions or lack thereof, and the possible negative effects on the ebbing reputation of our profession, Association, and members, you have unmistakably displayed your resolve to pursue your individual objectives. This determination seems to persist regardless of legal parameters and our established rules of professional conduct. Such behavior is inappropriate for a legal practitioner and particularly unbecoming for an individual holding the esteemed position of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and who for all intents and purposes like Caesar’s wife, ought to be above board. It is however unfortunate, that your personal agenda has overshadowed the interest of the Association.
While the world awaits the Nigerian Police to take the necessary actions, be reminded that lawyers and professionals world over who stand for truth and justice can from the facts see that you are using the good name of the Association to blackmail, intimidate and oppress citizens whose rights the Nigerian Bar Association stands to promote and protect.
#IsTheNBAYCFamilyBusiness?
Pere Nduku Esq.
