The AGCCPC is a committee led by Afam Osigwe (SAN) and is tasked with shepherding the Annual General Conference (AGC) which began on August 25 and is expected to last till September 1.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Stakeholders have raised eyebrows over what they described as financial missteps by the Annual General Conference Planning Committee (AGCCPC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The AGCCPC is a committee led by Afam Osigwe (SAN) and is tasked with shepherding the Annual General Conference (AGC) which began on August 25 and is expected to last till September 1.
Reliable sources within the AGCCPC voiced deep misgivings to TheNiche on Tuesday over the lack of fiscal prudence and forward-thinking in the committee’s financial actions.
The sources knocked the committee for spending N700 million in procuring conference bags, a customary feature of the AGC.
The committee is reported to have entered into an agreement to procure over 18,000 conference bags at a cost of about N334,800,000 (nearly $372,000).
The amount earmarked for procuring bags for the conference is said to be far in excess of the sum budgeted and approved by the NBA National Executive Council.
TheNiche got hold of a letter to the NBA President dated May 16, 2023, and signed by Head of Conference and Events Unit, Kemi Odeniyi, requesting payment for conference bags.
The letter said the AGCCPC contracted El-Sansara International Trading Company Limited for the job and that “it has a track record of delivering high-quality bags on time.” The unit price of the bag, the letter said, is $19.80, bringing the total for 18,760 bags to $371,448.
Sources cricticised the committee for omitting shipping expenses from the initial calculations.
“As reality hit home on the consequences of this negligent omission, the AGCCPC pivoted to an air freight solution that cost the NBA a whooping N390 million – an expense that would have been better managed with proper planning via sea shipment. This confluence of financial missteps has swollen the bag-related expense to over N700 million! This significantly surpasses the amount garnered from participant registration fees and insignificant amount raised from commercial partnerships.
“The implications of this fiscal debacle have ignited a firestorm of criticism, not only directed at the AGCCPC’s apparent mishandling of funds but also at the potential aftershocks for the NBA’s financial landscape,” one of the sources said.
Critics have been swift to denounce what they perceive as a lack of circumspection and an unfortunate detachment from the prevailing economic reality. Many have deemed the lavish expenditure on bags not only extravagant but also tone-deaf. The allocation of such a substantial sum to conference bags, an item perceived by many as superfluous in these trying times, has sparked intense discussions amongst many observers.
Not a few lawyers are questioning why the NBA not only spent such a humongous amount but worsened the situation by importing them from China. One source wondered what happened to quality bags that are made in Aba, AbiA State.
As the narrative unfolds, critics say the onus is on the NBA and the AGCCPC to restore confidence, preserve its financial integrity, and uphold the noble ideals that underpin the legal fraternity.
PS: As a sequel to this article published by The Niche, Law & Society Magazine put a number of calls across to Mazi Afam Osigwe via WhatsApp and his regular mobile line but there was no response. A message was also sent to his WhatsApp explaining that the call was with regards to the N700 million naira AGC bags scandal. Again there was no response.
