NBA, Egbe Amofin, others endorse EBF officers

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Arewa Lawyers Forum (ALF)
and Egbe Amofin have endorsed the election of new officers of the
Eastern Bar Forum ( EBF), describing the process as a model for
others to follow.

The EBF penultimate Tuesday in Calabar elected new members of
its governing council to run the affairs of the forum for the next
two years. The newly elected members are Chairman of the Governing
Council Chief Arthur Elvis Chukwu, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Anthony E.
Okorodas, Secretary Mr. Paul S .T.Ubom, and Treasurer Mr. Egbunonu
Emmanuel.

Others are Financial Secretary Mr. Joe K. Berebon, Publicity
Secretary Georde l. Fortune, Asst. Secretary Mr. Damian O. Nosike
while Mr. Ogunji. C. kingsley and Augustine I. Owo.

Third Vice President of the NBA, Mr. Ben Oji, who represented
the NBA President, A. B. Mahmoud (SAN), said: “This is the EBF has
been and remains at the forefront our fora. It is the most
organised NBA forum, that is why EBF was the first to be consulted
when the Mid-West Bar Forum was nurtured. This is a model for
others to follow, it is good in structure and almost everybody is
here and every other forum is represented here. We must not always
agree, but as lawyers, we must always show leadership,” Oji
said.

In his goodwill massage, the Assistant Secretary of the Arewa
Lawyers Forum, Mr. T. T. Hyndu, said: “ This is the best election I
have ever seen. We have a lot to learn from the EBF and if you
sustain this practice, then sky will be your limit.’’

Secretary of Egbe Amofin, Mr. Ranti Ajeleti said: “We thank you
for the honour done to our chairman Chief Bandele Aiku (SAN) when
he changed from mortality to immortality. Ironically, it is at
death that he would answer his name because Aiku in Yoruba language
means immortality, thus he had all along borrowed the name.

“The import of your invitation to us at this trying time of the
nation’s history is germane and we can derive a much utility value
from the meeting more than it is intended in solving our problems
as a country. Initially we had one national body and along the line
our elders thought that the centre would find it difficult to man
our growth.

“As we now have 100 branches of the NBA and if a branch is on
fire, it would have burnt to ashes before Abuja could bring in its
fire fighters. Our elders therefore formed the regional bodies to
take care of our peculiarities. The Eastern Bar Forum takes care of
the East. The Arewa Lawyers Forum takes care of the North and the
Egbe Amofin takes care of the west.’’

ajeleti continued: “In fact, it is the peculiarity of the West
that it calls itself Egbe in Yoruba language. Egbe means a group
union or better still league (League of nations) while. Amofin
means lawyer. Thus Egbe Amofin is the union of lawyers or league of
lawyers In our own little way. Egbe Amofin has succeeded in
resolving many local problems without necessarily involving the
national body.’’

“In fact, the idea behind the formation of regional bodies is
reminiscent of creating a federal union where all the federating
states and regions will have equal stake and each federating state
will have the opportunity to develop along her peculiarities.
Values and socio economic needs.

“Thus the divided opinion on the future of Nigeria would not
have arisen if we have followed the principle of federalism as
propounded by Prof. K. C. Wheare and as further amplified by the
late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his celebrated Book ‘’Path to
Nigerian freedom’’.

‘’Shortly before I boarded the plane to this meeting, a friend
of mine asked me what is the national question now? I pondered a
little and I said I am not right. I said the national question has
graduated sadly from restructuring to renegotiation of the Nigerian
federation. It is regrettable that the vehicle of our nation rather
than being placed in the drive, it is put in reverse gear. It is
sad that we are more disunited today than pre- independence era,
thus making nonsense of the labour of our heroes past. Like the
sage Awolowo once said: “The omens are bad what role can this
meeting play”.

‘’ I will urge you as learned colleagues to let us unite
together. Let us use our knowledge of law and our regional forum to
find solutions to our elites made problems. We should not
contemplate going into war at all because everybody will be the
looser,” Ajeleti said.

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Arewa Lawyers Forum (ALF)
and Egbe Amofin have endorsed the election of new officers of the
Eastern Bar Forum ( EBF), describing the process as a model for
others to follow.

The EBF penultimate Tuesday in Calabar elected new members of
its governing council to run the affairs of the forum for the next
two years. The newly elected members are Chairman of the Governing
Council Chief Arthur Elvis Chukwu, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Anthony E.
Okorodas, Secretary Mr. Paul S .T.Ubom, and Treasurer Mr. Egbunonu
Emmanuel.

Others are Financial Secretary Mr. Joe K. Berebon, Publicity
Secretary Georde l. Fortune, Asst. Secretary Mr. Damian O. Nosike
while Mr. Ogunji. C. kingsley and Augustine I. Owo.

Third Vice President of the NBA, Mr. Ben Oji, who represented
the NBA President, A. B. Mahmoud (SAN), said: “This is the EBF has
been and remains at the forefront our fora. It is the most
organised NBA forum, that is why EBF was the first to be consulted
when the Mid-West Bar Forum was nurtured. This is a model for
others to follow, it is good in structure and almost everybody is
here and every other forum is represented here. We must not always
agree, but as lawyers, we must always show leadership,” Oji
said.

In his goodwill massage, the Assistant Secretary of the Arewa
Lawyers Forum, Mr. T. T. Hyndu, said: “ This is the best election I
have ever seen. We have a lot to learn from the EBF and if you
sustain this practice, then sky will be your limit.’’

Secretary of Egbe Amofin, Mr. Ranti Ajeleti said: “We thank you
for the honour done to our chairman Chief Bandele Aiku (SAN) when
he changed from mortality to immortality. Ironically, it is at
death that he would answer his name because Aiku in Yoruba language
means immortality, thus he had all along borrowed the name.

“The import of your invitation to us at this trying time of the
nation’s history is germane and we can derive a much utility value
from the meeting more than it is intended in solving our problems
as a country. Initially we had one national body and along the line
our elders thought that the centre would find it difficult to man
our growth.

“As we now have 100 branches of the NBA and if a branch is on
fire, it would have burnt to ashes before Abuja could bring in its
fire fighters. Our elders therefore formed the regional bodies to
take care of our peculiarities. The Eastern Bar Forum takes care of
the East. The Arewa Lawyers Forum takes care of the North and the
Egbe Amofin takes care of the west.’’

ajeleti continued: “In fact, it is the peculiarity of the West
that it calls itself Egbe in Yoruba language. Egbe means a group
union or better still league (League of nations) while. Amofin
means lawyer. Thus Egbe Amofin is the union of lawyers or league of
lawyers In our own little way. Egbe Amofin has succeeded in
resolving many local problems without necessarily involving the
national body.’’

“In fact, the idea behind the formation of regional bodies is
reminiscent of creating a federal union where all the federating
states and regions will have equal stake and each federating state
will have the opportunity to develop along her peculiarities.
Values and socio economic needs.

“Thus the divided opinion on the future of Nigeria would not
have arisen if we have followed the principle of federalism as
propounded by Prof. K. C. Wheare and as further amplified by the
late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his celebrated Book ‘’Path to
Nigerian freedom’’.

‘’Shortly before I boarded the plane to this meeting, a friend
of mine asked me what is the national question now? I pondered a
little and I said I am not right. I said the national question has
graduated sadly from restructuring to renegotiation of the Nigerian
federation. It is regrettable that the vehicle of our nation rather
than being placed in the drive, it is put in reverse gear. It is
sad that we are more disunited today than pre- independence era,
thus making nonsense of the labour of our heroes past. Like the
sage Awolowo once said: “The omens are bad what role can this
meeting play”.

‘’ I will urge you as learned colleagues to let us unite
together. Let us use our knowledge of law and our regional forum to
find solutions to our elites made problems. We should not
contemplate going into war at all because everybody will be the
looser,” Ajeleti said.