A cursory look at the wall of the Facebook page, Nigerian Bar
Association, reveals several posts singing praise or showing
support for the different known aspirants to the post of President
of the Nigerian Bar Association, excluding one, Arthur Obi-Okafor,
SAN. However, beyond the posts, if one reads the comments, a
majority of them are in favor of the said Arthur Obi-Okafor,
SAN.
A question immediately comes to mind. How come there are no
posts about the silk but there is an overwhelming number of
comments/responses in his favor?
The answer to this question is quite simple. Unlike a regular
Facebook group, all posts made on the group are subject to approval
by the administrators of the group. So if the administrators decide
not to allow a certain post, it never sees the wall of the group.
This approval right does not, however, apply to comments/responses
to posts. So while the administrators can block, and they are
blocking, posts before they reach the wall, they cannot do so with
comments.
The issue was first brought to my attention by a colleague. I
didn’t agree at first. But in the wake of false rumors being spread
around about “massive walk-outs” at the EBF Summit, I wrote a
number of articles including the one titled, NBA, EBF, Adoptions
and Zoning: Frequently Asked Questions and Facts (which was
subsequently published and distributed by the various media), and
attempted to post on the group Nigerian Bar Association. These
posts were never approved. It should be noted that in the said EBF
meeting, Arthur Obi-Okafor, SAN was adopted by the EBF as its sole
presidential candidate. What I resorted to do, was to post my
article(s) as comments/responses to posts. The effect, of course,
is not the same, but that was the only way to be heard.
I am not the only one with this complaint. Several colleagues
have attempted to make posts showing support for the amiable silk,
whom I have now come to refer to as the gentle giant, but these
posts have not seen the light of the day. Instead, these colleagues
have either given up or posted their views as comments rather than
posts.
Common sense will tell any reasonable person that for a group
with about 30,000 lawyers as members, cutting across all the zones,
no matter how unpopular an aspirant is, at least one post would
have been made in his favor, not to talk of an aspirant who has
been adopted by the entire Eastern Bar. But alas none can be seen
on the wall of the group.
For a group with as many as 30,000 members, which is supposed to
represent, fairly, the position/view of the bar and its members, it
is shameful that the administrators, whoever they are and whatever
their political opinions and/or affiliations are, are resorting to
depriving supporters of a particular candidate, which, going by the
number and substance of comments, are a majority. It is not only
shameful, it is petty and offensive.
This act questions the credibility of the group and its
administrators. I believe every member of the group is entitled to
fair information of the goings-on. We are all entitled to air and
receive freely, our opinions and the opinions of colleagues. This
applies to all members, no matter their political opinion or group,
provided the posts are not offensive. This act of censorship makes
rubbish of that right. This is even more offensive when one reads
certain other posts which, not only are meaningless, are also
downright offensive and should have no place among ranks of persons
called to bar in any civilized society.
Another issue that comes to mind is “What other information are
the administrators keeping away from members?” It is possible that
a lot of information which might have been useful to members have
been kept away. Today it is the views supporting Arthur Obi-Okafor,
tomorrow, who knows what? We all must condemn this heinous act and
revolt against it. This is an unreasonable interference with our
right to give and receive information through any media. THIS IS
WRONG!
In a bid to avert this censorship, some concerned practitioners
have created an alternate group, “THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION”
@[268862353593879:https://www.facebook.com/groups/268862353593879/. The aim of
this group is to ensure freedom to air opinions and views by all
members of the bar not minding the political coloration provided
the comments are not offensive. I have joined. We all should too.
Let’s join hands to speak out against this evil. It begins with
you.
While writing this, I bear in mind that the administrators have
the capacity to delete comments and they may hurriedly do so after
this article, in respect of comments in favor of the learned silk,
Arthur Obi-Okafor. Let us not be deceived.
Regards,
@theFernist
#LifeUnderConstruction
A cursory look at the wall of the Facebook page, Nigerian Bar
Association, reveals several posts singing praise or showing
support for the different known aspirants to the post of President
of the Nigerian Bar Association, excluding one, Arthur Obi-Okafor,
SAN. However, beyond the posts, if one reads the comments, a
majority of them are in favor of the said Arthur Obi-Okafor,
SAN.
A question immediately comes to mind. How come there are no
posts about the silk but there is an overwhelming number of
comments/responses in his favor?
The answer to this question is quite simple. Unlike a regular
Facebook group, all posts made on the group are subject to approval
by the administrators of the group. So if the administrators decide
not to allow a certain post, it never sees the wall of the group.
This approval right does not, however, apply to comments/responses
to posts. So while the administrators can block, and they are
blocking, posts before they reach the wall, they cannot do so with
comments.
The issue was first brought to my attention by a colleague. I
didn’t agree at first. But in the wake of false rumors being spread
around about “massive walk-outs” at the EBF Summit, I wrote a
number of articles including the one titled, NBA, EBF, Adoptions
and Zoning: Frequently Asked Questions and Facts (which was
subsequently published and distributed by the various media), and
attempted to post on the group Nigerian Bar Association. These
posts were never approved. It should be noted that in the said EBF
meeting, Arthur Obi-Okafor, SAN was adopted by the EBF as its sole
presidential candidate. What I resorted to do, was to post my
article(s) as comments/responses to posts. The effect, of course,
is not the same, but that was the only way to be heard.
I am not the only one with this complaint. Several colleagues
have attempted to make posts showing support for the amiable silk,
whom I have now come to refer to as the gentle giant, but these
posts have not seen the light of the day. Instead, these colleagues
have either given up or posted their views as comments rather than
posts.
Common sense will tell any reasonable person that for a group
with about 30,000 lawyers as members, cutting across all the zones,
no matter how unpopular an aspirant is, at least one post would
have been made in his favor, not to talk of an aspirant who has
been adopted by the entire Eastern Bar. But alas none can be seen
on the wall of the group.
For a group with as many as 30,000 members, which is supposed to
represent, fairly, the position/view of the bar and its members, it
is shameful that the administrators, whoever they are and whatever
their political opinions and/or affiliations are, are resorting to
depriving supporters of a particular candidate, which, going by the
number and substance of comments, are a majority. It is not only
shameful, it is petty and offensive.
This act questions the credibility of the group and its
administrators. I believe every member of the group is entitled to
fair information of the goings-on. We are all entitled to air and
receive freely, our opinions and the opinions of colleagues. This
applies to all members, no matter their political opinion or group,
provided the posts are not offensive. This act of censorship makes
rubbish of that right. This is even more offensive when one reads
certain other posts which, not only are meaningless, are also
downright offensive and should have no place among ranks of persons
called to bar in any civilized society.
Another issue that comes to mind is “What other information are
the administrators keeping away from members?” It is possible that
a lot of information which might have been useful to members have
been kept away. Today it is the views supporting Arthur Obi-Okafor,
tomorrow, who knows what? We all must condemn this heinous act and
revolt against it. This is an unreasonable interference with our
right to give and receive information through any media. THIS IS
WRONG!
In a bid to avert this censorship, some concerned practitioners
have created an alternate group, “THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION”
@[268862353593879:https://www.facebook.com/groups/268862353593879/. The aim of
this group is to ensure freedom to air opinions and views by all
members of the bar not minding the political coloration provided
the comments are not offensive. I have joined. We all should too.
Let’s join hands to speak out against this evil. It begins with
you.
While writing this, I bear in mind that the administrators have
the capacity to delete comments and they may hurriedly do so after
this article, in respect of comments in favor of the learned silk,
Arthur Obi-Okafor. Let us not be deceived.
Regards,
@theFernist
#LifeUnderConstruction