Usoro, Ojukwu, Osigwe Absent At The EBF Meeting, As Lawyers Reject Adoption

* Don’t be used as a tool to destroy EBF, Governor Wike
charges EBF
* NBA Port Harcourt Branch rejects adoption of Arthur Obi
Okafor SAN as sole candidate
* Lawyers reject adoption of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as sole
candidate, demands for south south bar forum

Some members of the Eastern Bar Forum have rejected the adoption
of the a sole candidate in the person of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN for
the office of Presidency of the NBA.

Information disclosed to TheNigerialawyer reveals that the
controversy started when a motion to that effect was raised and
subsequently opposed by other lawyers. Some lawyers who rejected
the adoption are of the opinion that the Eastern Bar Forum has been
hijacked by some fellows. To them, someone from south south must be
given a chance because for five times, the EBF has only been
projecting Igbo candidates. To them this is not fair as members
from the south south are made to believe that they are not
important, hence they are demanding for the creation of a south
south bar forum.

The opposition was followed by an atmosphere of shunning and
shouting from all quarters by other lawyers in support of the
motion. A lawyer who spoke to TheNigerialawyer stated that he was
present in the scene, and as such witnessed all that happened.
According to him, Arthur Obi Okafor SAN was recommended to the EBF
by the screening committee as the sole candidate who submitted to
the traditional screening process.

He was adopted consequent upon a motion to adopt all the
candidates recommended by the screening committee. Reps of other
fora of the NBA (Arewa, mid west, Egbe etc) came out in turn to
confirm their foras acceptance of the EBF endorsed candidates esp
of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as EBFs endorsed sole presidential
candidate. A few people walked out but that was insignificant as
they were clearly supporters of some other candidate/s who had not
submitted themselves for screening and were not even at the EBF
meeting.

In another development, the Port Harcourt Branch of the NBA has
refuted a news making the rounds that it is in support of the
adoption.

Hear the statement:

“It has come to my attention that the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
was recorded as having acceded to the adoption of candidates for
NBA Presidency 2018, during the meeting of the Governing Council of
the Eastern Bar Forum held in Port Harcourt on the 3rd of January
2018. I wish to clarify that at no time did the NBA Port Harcourt
Branch or its leadership discuss, agree or authorize any such
adoption of candidates on its behalf. It therefore stands to reason
that any opinion expressed in support of same by anyone in that
regard to the EBF is personal to him and not a decision of the NBA
Port Harcourt Branch nor the Branch EXCO.

However, the executive governor of Rivers State, Wyesom Wike has
charged members of the Forum to speak in one voice. This he made
known in the Eastern Bar forum’s quarterly meeting. According to
the governor who doubles as a legal practitioner, discussion taken
in the forum may not be acceptable by all members, but speaking
with one voice is the only way out. To him, even if there should be
a quarrel which is inevitable, it should end at the forum’s level.
He therefore charged members not to allow themselves to be used as
tools to destroy the branch.

* Don’t be used as a tool to destroy EBF, Governor Wike
charges EBF
* NBA Port Harcourt Branch rejects adoption of Arthur Obi
Okafor SAN as sole candidate
* Lawyers reject adoption of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as sole
candidate, demands for south south bar forum

Some members of the Eastern Bar Forum have rejected the adoption
of the a sole candidate in the person of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN for
the office of Presidency of the NBA.

Information disclosed to TheNigerialawyer reveals that the
controversy started when a motion to that effect was raised and
subsequently opposed by other lawyers. Some lawyers who rejected
the adoption are of the opinion that the Eastern Bar Forum has been
hijacked by some fellows. To them, someone from south south must be
given a chance because for five times, the EBF has only been
projecting Igbo candidates. To them this is not fair as members
from the south south are made to believe that they are not
important, hence they are demanding for the creation of a south
south bar forum.

The opposition was followed by an atmosphere of shunning and
shouting from all quarters by other lawyers in support of the
motion. A lawyer who spoke to TheNigerialawyer stated that he was
present in the scene, and as such witnessed all that happened.
According to him, Arthur Obi Okafor SAN was recommended to the EBF
by the screening committee as the sole candidate who submitted to
the traditional screening process.

He was adopted consequent upon a motion to adopt all the
candidates recommended by the screening committee. Reps of other
fora of the NBA (Arewa, mid west, Egbe etc) came out in turn to
confirm their foras acceptance of the EBF endorsed candidates esp
of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as EBFs endorsed sole presidential
candidate. A few people walked out but that was insignificant as
they were clearly supporters of some other candidate/s who had not
submitted themselves for screening and were not even at the EBF
meeting.

In another development, the Port Harcourt Branch of the NBA has
refuted a news making the rounds that it is in support of the
adoption.

Hear the statement:

“It has come to my attention that the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
was recorded as having acceded to the adoption of candidates for
NBA Presidency 2018, during the meeting of the Governing Council of
the Eastern Bar Forum held in Port Harcourt on the 3rd of January
2018. I wish to clarify that at no time did the NBA Port Harcourt
Branch or its leadership discuss, agree or authorize any such
adoption of candidates on its behalf. It therefore stands to reason
that any opinion expressed in support of same by anyone in that
regard to the EBF is personal to him and not a decision of the NBA
Port Harcourt Branch nor the Branch EXCO.

However, the executive governor of Rivers State, Wyesom Wike has
charged members of the Forum to speak in one voice. This he made
known in the Eastern Bar forum’s quarterly meeting. According to
the governor who doubles as a legal practitioner, discussion taken
in the forum may not be acceptable by all members, but speaking
with one voice is the only way out. To him, even if there should be
a quarrel which is inevitable, it should end at the forum’s level.
He therefore charged members not to allow themselves to be used as
tools to destroy the branch.