A lawyer, Bright Otodo, has hailed S. Long Williams as he bows out as the Governor of Eastern Bar Forum.
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The Forum conducted an election during its Quarterly General Meeting which held on Saturday, 24th July, 2021 at Hon. Justice A. I. Umezulike Auditorium, High Court Complex, Enugu.
The new elected leaders are Anene Uba Francis (Governor), Selema Alamina Walton (Vice-Chairman), Yakemewerigha Christopher Opute (Secretary), and Fidelis Amaechi Iteshi (Treasurer) amongst others.
In a statement made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, Otobo reeled out the achievements of Williams while in office to include Increment of membership from 1,350 to now about 5,000 members, amendment of the Forum’s constitution Made provisions for the formal registration of the EBF as registered Trustees, creation of two forums:
Women’s Forum and Young Lawyer’s Forum, Improved IT awareness etc.
Read the full statement below:
AS S. Long williams bows out as ebf governor
THE JOURNEY
On the 24th day of July, 2021, the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) shall herald the birth of a new leadership in Enugu.
The Eastern Bar Forum is an association of NBA Branches comprised in the old Eastern Region of Nigeria.
Formed in 2004, the Forum was formed to cater for the interest of members within the aims and objectives of the Nigerian Bar Association. Such interests include but not limited to assisting members to achieve their dreams, ambitions and goals within the NBA and assist members in manpower development through seminars, workshops and conferences.
The current leadership of the Forum is headed by the irrepressible, indefatigable and intrepid S. Long Williams, Esq. who is popularly referred to as “His Excellency” due to the fact that the head of the Forum is referred to as “The Governor of the Eastern Bar Forum”.
This quintessential Bar Man who was a past Financial Secretary and also past Secretary of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, was also the founder of the NBA Branch Sports Club. A Columnist, Prolific Writer, Commentator, Administrator and Mobilizer with a legal practice spanning over three decades, this enigmatic husband and father was once the Secretary of the Forum before ascending to its very acme.
Long Williams Esq. currently shares this exalted position of Governor of Eastern Bar Forum with the following big guns in the legal profession:
- Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, SAN
- Kemasoude Wodu
- Chief Ogbonnaya B. Igwenyi
- Elder Efefiom Otu Efiom Ekong, SAN
- Sir Arthur Elvis Chukwu KSJ, FICMC
THE FOOTPRINTS
“Integrity insight and inclusiveness are the three essential qualities of leadership”
– Sadhguru
- Long Williams, Esq. has only one mantra! To make the Eastern Bar Forum bigger, bolder and better!.
Did His Excellency walk the talk?
Let us take a close, almost empirical scrutiny of his achievements under the singularized words of his mantra.
BIGGER EBF
Since the emergence of S. Long Williams, Esq. as Governor, the Forum has witnessed and is still witnessing an astronomical growth in its membership. This growth in seismic proportions is evidently due to reach of its leader who garners goodwill from members of the Bar across the Eastern Region and beyond. This is, of course, expected from a grass root Bar Man and mobilizer who brought so much awareness of the existence and strength of the Forum to all and sundry.
The forum is now quadrupled in size and more. From a membership of 1,350 members, the Forum is now about 5,000 members.
BETTER EBF
Still under the microscopic scrutiny, a panoramic overview would reveal that this leadership under S. Long Williams, Esq. has brought a broad spectrum of innovative development to the Forum from where he took over the mantle of leadership.
Notable among the many innovations are:
- Amended the EBF Constitution to include the offices of:
- Welfare Secretary
- Legal Adviser
- The creation of two forums:
- Women’s Forum
- Young Lawyer’s Forum
- Made provisions for the formal registration of the EBF as registered trustees.
- Increased the membership of the EBF from 1,350 to 5,000
- Improved the IT awareness and indeed savviness of EBF members by the deployment of ICT in its programs and activities.
- EBF issuing communiques touching on critical, sensitive societal issues bothering on the promotion of good governance, the welfare and security of the people.
BOLDER EBF
Ranging from the E-filing to the constant hold-up experienced in Rivers State arising largely due to road blocks and road constructions, the EBF has made bold but constructive criticisms laced with suggestions to the authorities.
This is not only in Rivers State but cuts across all the Eastern States and beyond.
WINDING UP
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence”.
– John Adams
And so the curtain finally draws to a close for the S. Long Williams led administration. No doubt some oxen may have been gored along the way but one thing is sure the Forum has been taken to the next level.
The shoes being left by this current leader is no doubt wider that it was when he set foot in them and only time will tell who they would fit. That time is certainly not on the 24th of July, 2021 when a new leader would be sworn in but by the effluxion of the new leader’s tenure in office.
Bright Otobo Esq.
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