Sylvester Udemezue
Dear Learned friend, Mr. SOK Shillings, Sir, thank you for your
well written comment titled, “SUSPENSION OF BAYO AKINLADE ESQ.
MATTERS ARISING .” I agree with you that the entire Bayo Akinlade
issue generally raises some questions.
But, please, would you not agree with me that in your comment,
you have failed to point out most of the relevant questions raised
or issues for determination? Besides, I think your comment as
posted/published has in itself thrown out more damaging questions
than useful answers. Kindly permit me to make an attempt at raising
some of the actual relevant questions and issues, so that you may
help me with some UNBIASED clarifications that would help clear all
reasonable doubts and enable discerning Nigerian see the big
picture:
▶(1). You completely evaded any discussions on the place or
implications of the directive by the NBA National Leadership,
through its General Secretary (GS), that the planned “election”
into the office of the Ikorodu Branch VC be temporarily halted
pending investigations into and resolution of the petition written
to NBA National by OGBAIDE (Ikorodu Branch Vice Chairman (VC))? Why
have you failed to discuss that directive vis-à-vis the decision of
the Ikorodu NBA Branch Leadership to IGNORE the directive and
proceed to conduct the “election?”
▶(2). Or, by ignoring that aspect, are you saying the directive
has no meaning and was rightly disregarded by Ikorodu nba Branch?
You think the directive was a non-issue?
▶(3). When you’re the NBA Chairman for Ikorodu Branch, would you
have handled this matter the same way? Disregarding a lawful
directive from the nba national leadership and conducting your
branch affairs as if you’re a law unto yourself? Please, tell
me!
▶(4). In your comment, you have concluded thus, about Mr
Ogbaide: ”he has a bad reputation and that was the
original sin. He once suggested that I changed my surname because
when people turn 50 in my family, they run mad. …Just last week, he
referred to the members as mumu and
morons. He stole our money as Chairman of a committee and never won
a contested election.”
MY QUESTION: Does this comment of yours not explain why you have
taken the position you’re taking now on the Ikorodu imbroglio?
Please, Sir, when Mr Ogbaide “stole” Ikorodu Branch monies, as you
declared in your comment under consideration, was any Panel or
Committee set up by the Ikorodu Branch to investigate the issue or
to discipline him? Was he reported to the NBA National? Was he
taken before the LPDC? What disciplinary steps did your branch take
against Mr Ogbaide? Or is Mr Ogbaide above the law? If you did none
of these, are you not estopped from using these grounds to
persecute your VC? Does this comment of yours not show your clear
bias already? So, would anyone be surprised at the position you’re
taking, after reading that your judgement on Mr Ogbaide as a
person?
▶(5). In your comment, you referred to a certain scenario
leading to “suspension “ of one Gloria Cassius. But you failed to
tell us what protest-actions the disqualified person (Cassius) took
after she was so disqualified! Why, my learned friend? Or, did you
not know that if one is disqualified and the person keeps mute, it
is taken that he or she has accepted his/her fate? And it means
that since there were only TWO contestants for that VC position,
the other would sure go UNOPPOSED? Please, Sir, is this not the
rule, universally accepted? Amswer me, please!
▶(6). In your comment, I didn’t see where you told us why Mr
Ogbaide in your view was not validly occupying the VC position of
Ikorodu NBA Branch! You didn’t, my dear learned friend! Or, are you
saying that because he had run unopposed, he was therefore not
entitled to lay any claim to the office of the IKORODU BRANCH VC?
Or, tell us, was it Mr Ogbaide that had “disqualified” Gloria
Cassius? Or, please tell me, who was the Ikorodu NBA Branch VC
since 2018? Was the office vacant until March 2019 when the Ikorodu
NBA Branch purportedly Conducted a “election” to fill it?
▶(7). Do you not agree that Mr Ogbaide, having run unopposed and
thereby became the VC of Ikorodu nba Branch, he could only be
removed through due process of law? Now, If you tell me you had
lawfully removed Mr Ogbaide, then I ask , when and how?
▶(8). If Mr Ogbaide had not been lawfully removed from office as
the Branch VC as at the time your branch purported to decide to
conduct an election to FILL the obviously NOT-VACANT VC position,
what’s the legal status of the purported election? You know better
than I do! The supreme court decision in Peter Obi v. INEC is
clear: an election conducted to fill an office that is
not yet vacant is a nullity, void ab initio, amounts to a waste of
time. Is that not so, dear Mr Shillings? Or, was the
office of the VC, IKORODU NBA vacant as at the time the suspended
Chairman purportedly caused an election to be conducted with a view
to electing a new VC? Did you not see that Mr Ogbaide was not
validly removed, and as such remains the substantive VC of IKORODU
NBA, and no Acting Chairman?
▶(9) Dear Mr Shillings, please, if you were the President or GS
of the NBA National and you received a petition from Mr Ogbaide in
that manner, an SOS for that matter, would you have kept quiet,
dismissed the petition with a wave of hand and allowed the proposed
“election” in Ikorodu to proceed in spite of the petition from the
office of the Ikorodu Branch VC? Please, tell us, Sir, exactly how
would you have handled the matter as the President of the NBA
National?
▶(10). Dear Mr Shillings, let’s look at the other side! What
harm would it have caused Mr the Ikorodu NBA Branch if the Branch
had tarried a while in deference to the directive by NBA National
to halt the proposed election? What harm? What loss would the
branch have suffered? What prejudice? Tell me! Was the proper thing
not for the Branch to have allowed the NBA to at least thrash out
that petition before proceeding with the “election?” Of course, the
Petititon would be resolved and the election would still hold, only
if overzealousness and ITK (I-too-know) had not taken the place of
reason and wisdom in the minds of the handlers, and advisers of the
Ikorodu nba Branch as at the material time! Or, did it not occur to
you that the mere fact that Ikorodu NBA Chairman OPENLY IGNORED a
lawful directive of NBA National SPEAKS volumes about the actual
intentions of the Ikorodu Branch in having chosen to Conduct the
“election?”
▶(11). You repeatedly referred to instances where past NBA
Presidents or national officers had, WHILE STILL IN OFFICE, openly
disagreed with NBA and even called NBA’s bluff! I don’t know how
true your claim is. Those were are your words! But, both Mr.
ODOGIYAN and Mr Lawal-RABANA were both National officers
(presidents)of the NBA! They were not BRANCH CHAIRMEN. I am however
not saying that presidents are above the law! That’s not the issue
here. Please, Sir, you failed to cite any one instance, just one,
in which a clear DIRECTIVE of NBA National Leadership was openly
DISREGARDED by a Branch Chairman! You’ve not? Why, Sir? And if I
may further ask, did it not occur to you that the mere fact that
you cited none shows that NO SUCH INSTANCE EXISTS? Yet, on no fewer
than two occasions, the now suspended IKORODU NBA Chairman had
OPENLY and without justification disregarded clear directives of
NBA National. First, it was a resolution duly passed by the NBA NEC
(National Executive Committee) directing a two-day court boycott.
Mr Akinlade as the Chairman on Ikorodu NBA Branch had issue a
statement urging Ikorodu Branch members to DISREGARD the NEC
resolution and directive contained therein. Second was the
directive on the proposed Ikorodu VC election! Mr Shillings, and
you still see nothing wrong? Why?
▶(12). Dear Mr Shillings, Sir, you were once the Ikorodu NBA
Chairman. Kindly cite how many times you openly DISOBEYED or
disregarded directives of NBA National or of the NEC! If you cite
none, it means none existed. Then, why do you support clear acts of
insubordination on the part of the current leadership of Ikorodu
nba Branch? Or, must we support what is not right? Why not see the
bigger picture? Or, are you saying that those actions of the
Ikorodu Branch Chairman were okay under the circumstances?
▶(13). Dear Mr Shillings, in your comment, you did not cite any
example or show of any bias or partiality by the NBA National
Leadership in this Ikorodu NBA VC imbroglio! There’s no where in
your comment that you alleged that the nba National Leadership was
in support of Mr Ogbaide! And you know there’s no indication of any
such! The letter conveying the directive of the NBA National was
clear and unbiased in all respects. Then, why the rush to Conduct
the VC “election” in spite of NBA National’s directive? Why?
▶(14). As between the email or WhatsApp message of “approval”
allegedly given by the NBA 2nd VeePee, according to you, and the
LATER Directive issued by the NBA National through its General
Secretary in an official letter, which one do you think ought to
have prevailed? Which was later in time? Even if you tell me that
both of them had come from National officers of the nba and
therefore represented the position of NBA National Leadership, then
i will ask you, which was LATER IN TIME? And which ought to have
prevailed? If the same person gave you two conflicting directives
at two different times, should you not prefer the later directive?
If for instance my mother tells me at 8.00am that I should go to
the market to buy rice and my mother later on the same day at about
12.30pm
tells me to wait for HER further directives before going to the
market to buy rice, would it be wise for me to still proceed with
my mother’s 8.00am instructions? Tell me, Mr Shillings. Let’s be
fair and consider the reasonable sides of this issue. If the
Ikorodu Branch didn’t not know that the later directive should
ordinarily prevail over earlier “approval,” the Branch (Secretary),
at worst, should have written/contacted the 2nd VeePee for further
directives on getting/seeing the official letter from NBA National
through its GS, which was clearly in direct conflict with the
email/whatsapp of “approval” allegedly previously given by the 2nd
VeePee. Does the fact that the Branch did not do any of these not
speak volumes?
▶(15) Is the NBA not one organisation. Is the NBA National
leadership like the President of the federal republic of Nigeria
who altogether has no control over state governors, only because we
as a country operate a FEDERATION. On the other hand, do we not
know that in the case of NBA, it is not a federal arrangement that
enables a branch chairman to conduct branch affairs as if he is a
law unto himself. I think each and every NBA branch is under the
supervision of the national leadership, and must therefore refrain
from acting as a sheep without a shepherd. Each branch is supposed
to respect and submit to the authority of the national leadership,
to the extent that NBA’S constitution prescribes. Is that not what
it should be, dear Mr SOK Shillings? Please, tell me. Let’s have a
discussion on this. I am ready to discuss with you to thrash out
all relevant issues.
Meanwhile, thank you, Mr Shillings, Sir, as you graciously
oblige me with clarifications on my humble inquiries which I
honestly believe would help us place the relevant issues in proper
perspectives with a view to finding a common ground that would leav
no one in doubts.
Thank you, immensely, Sir.
Respectfully,
Sylvester Udemezue
(UDEMS)