EBF Not Against Amendment Of NBA Constitution, Forum Only Respects The Rule Of Law

According to the statement signed by George Fortune Igbikikuno, Esq., the Publicity Secretary of the Eastern Bar Forum, the clarification needs be made to keep the record straight. TheNigerialawyer recalls that the Constitution Review Committee of the NBA had requested for a memorandum from members with respect to the proposed amendment to the 2015 Constitution of the NBA. The EBF resolved to kick against the proposed amendment because it is believed to have been done with the wrong procedure. Citing S. 20 of the NBA Constitution, EBF is of the opinion that the constitution can only be amended via an Annual General Meeting and not an Extra-ordinary General meeting as was followed. According to the statement: “The Governing Council of the Eastern Bar Forum, ably and democratically led by Chief Arthur Elvis Chukwu, Esq., ACIArb., KSJI., most respectfully, wishes to set the records straight. The Eastern Bar Forum is not against the “Proposed Amendment of the 2015 NBA National Constitution by the Mr. Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, SAN led NBA National Executive, but is strongly against the timing of the amendment. Section 20(1) of the 2015 NBA Constitution and Subsection (2) of the First Schedule to the 2015 NBA Constitution expressly provide that the NBA Constitution shall only be amended at an Annual General Meeting of the NBA and not at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association. Granted there are gray areas in the 2015 NBA Constitution that require review or amendment, the time chosen for such review/amendment to be done is inauspicious, ill-timed, rancour-prone and unconstitutional.” Furthermore the forum stated its discontentment to the fact that the proposed amendment is about to be made less than seven months to the 2018 NBA General elections. In the exact words: “Second, it is universally unsound, inappropriate and will wholly smark of retrogression, parochialism, lack of promotion and respect for rule of law and respect for the fundamental rights of all legal practitioners, for the 2015 NBA Constitution to be amended less than 7 (seven) months to the 2018 NBA General Elections. For the records, EBF shall go into the 2018 NBA General Elections and emerge stronger, wiser, more God-fearing and more united. May the Good Almighty God guarantee all of us divine good health, divine long lives, and divine prosperity and may we never depart from the presence of God!”, it was noted.  ]]>