NBA Port Harcourt Branch Secretary, Cordelia U. Eke Writes Chairman Branch Advisory Committee, Hon. O.C.J. Okocha, SAN, Asks Him To Call The Branch Chairman To Order

The Secretary of NBA Port Harcourt Branch, Cordelia U. Eke, has written to the Chairman of the Branch Advisory Committee, Hon. O.C.J. Okocha, SAN, Accusing the Branch Chairman Omubo Victor Frank-Briggs of arbitrary and unconstitutional Actions. This was stated in a letter dated the 2nd May, 2018 wherein the secretary of the branch raised alarm over the current unconstitutional actions of the chairman of the branch with regard to the electoral process of the Branch, which if not addressed closely could likely disenfranchise many members of the branch, disrupt a smooth transition to an elected EXCO come June 1st 2018 and eventually plunge the branch into crisis. According to the letter, the Branch chairman is said to have constituted himself into a sole administrator of the branch as he now takes decision without consultation with officers of the branch or EXCO, not even with the Branch Secretary. She noted that the recent Re-constitution of the branch ELECO was singlehandedly done and inaugurated by him without her or EXCO knowledge or approval, not until after it was published online by the Chairman before he tried to make amends in the face of criticisms. Also raised is the hoarding of the list of financial members of the branch by the chairman and refusal to give the secretary access to the said list, as well as the issue of a purported list of qualified members of the branch, whose details were not verified by the Branch Secretariat, sent to ECNBA by the Chairman without the knowledge of the branch Secretary; a matter in which she had already written ECNBA protesting authenticity of the list. According to her, members have started complaining as the action of the chairman is capable of disenfranchising members of the branch. She also affirmed the alleged current manipulation of the Branch ELECO by the chairman, adding that the chairman had threatened to arrest the branch staff with police if they give her (the branch secretary) access to the membership information of the branch which ordinarily ought to be in her custody. “His romance with the ELECO chairman, Tonye Krukrubo Esq. has resulted in the ELECO chairman barring calls from the Secretary’s phones and durecting all correspondence concerning the elections to the Chairman, Omubo Victor Frank-Briggs, thus ensuring the branch secretary is shut out of any communication in that regard “I am also aware that the branch chairman holds private meetings with the ELECO chairman and his team, without the knowledge of the secretary, in spite of the provision of the NBA Uniform By-laws 2015 which makes both the chairman and secretary Ex-officio members of ALL committees of the branch,” she added The secretary is therefore calling on the chairman of the branch advisory committee and leader of the Bar in Rivers State to advise the branch chairman to work with the branch secretary and refrain from unilaterally carrying out actions both unconstitutional and otherwise without consultation and knowledge of the Secretary for the remainder of their tenure in office, adding that she will no longer hesitate to publicize her position on any further actions by the chairman which is considered to be against the interest of the branch. This letters is coming in the heels of a prior publication on Social Media by S. Long-Williams Esq titled : “2018 NBA PH Branch Elections: the looming imbroglio” wherein he complained of the Chairman appointing an over bloated ELECO of 10 members instead of the 5 provided in the Bye-Laws, among other unconstitutional actions. It is further gathered that the said Branch Chairman’s actions may not be unconnected with favoring a particular candidate of his choice in the elections.]]>