By Sylvester Udemezue
Dear respected Kunle Edun, Esq, I’ve just read you 17 August 2022 published statement wherein you joined “calls for Buhari’s impeachment”. You wrote therein, “It is on this premise that I commend the recent motion by some Senators for the impeachment of the Nigerian President. I understand that the impeachment call is supported by majority of the Senators. The impeachment call should not be lightly treated. It is a call to save Nigeria from the mess that it is in presently. It is even a call to save President Buhari from himself…” ( see: “Calls For The Impeachment Of Nigeria’s President” By Kunle Edun, Esq. TheNigeriaLawyer: 17 August 2022).
Now, dear Kunle, you’re assessing Buhari’s leadership. What do you have to say about NBA National leadership? Charity begins at home! How has the NBA national leadership of which you’re a part fared in the last two years? Can you name just ONE CAMPAIGN PROMISE of Olumide Akpata’s 2020 Campaign Manifesto that can validly be said to have been fulfilled? Just One! I challenge you! Don’t tell me about mere recommendations or plans. Name one successfully implemented recommendation/plan or recorded achievement! If you can’t, then, why not join me in my call for an immediate sack sack of the Olumide Akpata NBA Presidency even before the end of its tenure, which is coming in a few days’ time? See my 16 August 2022 piece titled, The Entire NBA National Executive Committee 2020-2022 Ought to Be Sacked Now for Failing To Solve Any One of the Numerous Challenges Plaguing the Law Profession in Nigeria”._ Come and join this call before talking about Buhari!
You and your colleagues in the NBA National leadership should first remove the huge log of wood in your eyes, before you start looking to remove the speck in Buhari’s eyes. I am not confirming or refuting your opinion on Buhari. All I am saying is, “Enough of this holier-than-thou attitude because the NBA is not any better than our political leaders and any other institution. You can’t help others people unless you’ve helped yourself. You can not manage other people, unless you [are able to] manage yourself first. You have to take care of you first and foremost, because when you stop taking care of yourself, you get out of balance and you forget how to take care of others. If you want to have enough to give to others, you will need to take care of yourself first. A tree that refuses water and sunlight for itself can’t bear fruit for others.” (See: “Abdication Of Duty! How NBA Leaderships Chase After Shadows To The Detriment Of The Security, Welfare And Economic Advancement Of The Legal Profession And Its Members”_ .By Sylvester Udemezue. TheNigeriaLawyer: April 07, 2021)
One of the major complaints against the Buhari presidency is Buhari’s alleged failure to run an all-inclusive, broad-based, all-embracing governance that priotizes respect for Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to afford a sense of belonging to all parts of Nigeria. Dear brother, please, tell me, How is the NBA Leadership (headed by Olumide Akpata and of which you’re a part) any better than Buhari’s or the leadership of other traditional politicians in Nigeria?
Without going too far away (I’ve said a lot on this already, see composition of TCCP, NBA-SPIDEL Council, etc), below is the membership composition of the Transition Committee set up on 17 August 2022 by the NBA leadership of Olumide Akpata, Esq. Ten (10) members! How many northerners are in this committee? In recognition of the fact that there are two dominant religions in Nigeria, please, how many Muslims are in this Transition Committee? Yet, when northerners and Muslims cry marginalization in the scheme of NBA affairs, some people tend to dismiss such complaints as if they don’t have any justification. Finally, in an NBA of about 197,0000 members spread across 36 States and Abuja, and headed by a man from Edo State (Olumide Akpata), why must every Committee set up by the NBA President have a representative from Edo State? See the transition Committee membership: (1). Paul Harris Ogbole SAN – Chairman; (2). Aderemi Oguntoye; (3). Bulus Atsen; (4). Desmond Ogba; (5). Tolu Aderemi; (6). Benard Onigah; (7). Ovonlen Ebholimen; (8). Grace Igyo; (9). Ayodeji Oni; and (10). Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem.
Practice of Federal Character is said to be promoted when all segments of Nigeria are carried along in virtually everything, thereby ensuring there is NO predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional or religious groups. Besides, and in order to promote national integration, in all appointments, there must be no discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties. Only in this way would we be able to foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among the various peoples of Nigeria, to the end that loyalty to the nation shall override sectional loyalties.
As of the date of setting up of the 17-member TCCP for NBA-AGC, 2022, it had/has only 2 or 3 members representing the entire Northern Nigeria comprising 19 States and the FCT. “The TCCP which is tasked with the responsibility of delivering a world class NBA-AGC in August 2022, is made up of the following members: Tobenna Erojikwe – (Chairman); Ronke Adeyemi; Mustapha Imam; Olumide Babalola; Inemisit Dike – (Secretary); Blessing Udofia-Poromon; Orji Uka; Ada Obinna Edozie; Rotimi Ogunyemi; Jonathan Agbo; Nta Ekpiken; and Omobayode Okelola. Ex-Officio: Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN – Chairman NBA- SLP; Mr. Ayuli Jemide – Chairman NBA – SBL; Dr. Monday Ubani – Chairman NBA – SPIDEL; Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose, SAN – Chairperson NBA-WF; and Mr. Tobi Adebowale – Chairman NBA-YLF” (See: “NBA Sets Up Technical Committee On Conference Planning 2022, Appoints Tobenna Erojikwe As Chairman” TheNigeriaLawyer: February 01, 2022)
In a commentary titled,”My Position And Proposition In Re MULAN’s Statement (Dated June 02, 2022) On ‘NBA’s Treatment Of Muslim Lawyers And Islam’, (see: TheNigeriaLawyer: June 04, 2022), I had observed as follows:
“I respectfully think MULAN is right if its observation is that there appears to be a deliberate or unconscious marginalisation of the north (I mean “North”, and not “Muslims”) in all NBA appointments, Sections and Committees. I had earlier drawn our attention to this. But some classified my comments as an “attack” against the NBA leadership. All NBA Sections are currently headed by southerners. Almost all NBA Committees are headed by southerners, and each has an overwhelming majority of its membership composition from the south. Further, the TCCP for NBA-AGC 2022 has about 17 members. Not up to 5 are from the north. Some Previous TCCP’s had been found to exhibit this lopsidedness, which is unhealthy for the life and good health of the NBA. I have been saying it: only respect for federal character will save Nigeria. The current squalid state of the country was caused (and is still being caused) by gross disrespect for the federal character of Nigeria. Something must be done to reverse the ugly trend. And it’s unfortunate that NBA appears to not be a good example in this respect. Sometimes, I even wonder why NBA keeps shouting rule of law when it doesn’t respect federal character which is a mandatory requirement of Chapter 2 of the CFRN, 1999”.
To be continued.
Respectfully,
Sylvester Udemezue (Udems)
