Mid-West Bar Forum Urges Members To Disregard Patrick Oganwu’s Statement, Says Forum Unaware Of Any Agreement With Egbe Amofin

The Mid-West Forum of the Nigerian Bar Association has urged all its members to disregard the statement issued by Patrick Oganwu on an agreement the Forum purportedly reached with Egbe Amofin on the forthcoming NBA National Elections, noting that he did not represent the interest of the Forum.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Mid-West Forum, Mr. Chike Onyemenam, SAN and the Secretary, Mrs. Benedicta Okoduwa which was made available to TheNigeriaLawyer.

Besides, the statement rejected as false the publication of Patrick Oganwu and stating that it is “false, illegal, unauthorized, a sell out, a betrayal and a stab on the back”.

In addition, it discarded the assertion that the Forum reached a meeting with Egbe Amofin noting that the Forum never authorized any meeting.

Furthermore, the statement remarked that there was no time it expressly or impliedly authorized Chief Albert Akpomudje, SAN to write Egbe Amofin where the learned silk nominated 10 persons to represent it at a meeting with the Egbe Amofin.

Therefore, members were urged to disregard any statement on the issue as it does not represent their approval or authorization.

The statement reads:

MID-WEST BAR FORUM CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, SENIOR ADVOCATES, BAR LEADERS, BRANCH CHAIRMEN AND MEMBERS REFUTE AS FALSE, THE RECENT ONLINE PUBLICATION BY ONE PATRICK OGANWU, ESQ., TITLED “MID-WEST BAR FORUM AND EGBE AMOFIN AGREE ON NBA PRESIDENCY MACRO-ZONING…”.

I, Chike George Onyemenam, SAN, the Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Elders Council of the Mid-West Bar Forum, in conjunction with the Senior Advocates, Bar Leaders, N.B.A. Branch Chairmen/Executives and Members of the Mid-West Bar Forum, emphatically reject as false, illegal, unauthorized, a sell out, a betrayal and a stab on the back of the distinguished Members of the Mid-West Bar Forum and the Forum’s Candidates at the forthcoming N.B.A. General Elections, the publication in the Social Media by one Patrick Oganwu, Esq., falsely describing himself as “Interim Committee Chairman” and falsely claiming that the Mid-West Bar Forum had at two Virtual Meetings held on the 20th and 27thJune, 2020, agreed with Egbe Amofin to share the N.B.A. Presidency and Other National Offices in the Ratio of 2 to Egbe Amofin and 1 to Mid-West Bar Forum.

The aforesaid publication is totally false, hence the need to put the records straight for posterity as hereunder stated:

1. The Mid-West Bar Forum has neither held any Meeting, physical or virtual, with the Egbe Amofin O’ dua nor authorized any of its Members to hold any joint Meeting on behalf of the Forum with the Edge Amofin on the 20th or 27th June, 2020, or on any other date concerning the N.B.A. Presidency or the forthcoming N.B.A. General Elections.

2. By a letter brought to my notice, dated 8th June, 2020, (copy attached below), from Chief Albert Akpomudje, S.A.N., to the Egbe Amofin, on behalf of the Mid-West Bar Forum without my knowledge, consent or authorization as Chairman of the Mid-West Bar Forum and Chairman of the Elders Council and the consent of the 14 N.B.A. Branch Chairmen and Members of the Forum, the above past Chairman of the Forum sent a list of 10 Members of the Forum, 5 from Delta State and 5 from Edo State whom he personally handpicked, to the Egbe Amofin, notifying the latter that the said 10 Members would represent the Mid-West Bar Forum in negotiations with Egbe Amofin over the forthcoming N.B.A. General Elections.

3. The Egbe Amofin through its distinguished Leader and past President of the N.B.A., Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, S.A.N., in their reply to the above Letter observed that they were not comfortable with the above list of 10 persons handpicked on a State by State basis to represent the Mid-West Bar Forum in the planned Meeting as what they were expecting was a list of “the Executives of the Mid-West Bar” as promised, “and not Delta and Edo States”.

4. Following the above development which clearly meant that a few Members of the Mid-West Bar Forum were planning, without the knowledge, consent and authority of distinguished Members of this great Forum, represented by myself and other duly elected Executive Committee Members, to go and negotiate the fate of Members of the Mid-West Bar Forum with another Forum; I, as the incumbent Chairman of the Forum, in consultation with my Executive Committee Members, Senior Advocates and Bar Leaders of our great Forum, decided to address a Letter dated 23rd June, 2020(copy attached below), to the Egbe Amofin, notifying that Forum that the Mid-West Bar Forum was not aware of and did not authorize our aforesaid listed Members to represent the Forum in any negotiations with the Egbe Amofin over the forthcoming N.B.A. General Elections and further notifying that Forum that the Mid-West Bar Forum at its last Quarterly Meeting held at Auchi, Edo State, on the 7th day of March, 2020, in line with my Administration’s policy on transparency and adherence to the tenets of democracy, had set up an N.B.A. Election Committee under the distinguished Chairmanship of Chief Charles Adoga, S.A.N., with Chief Ken Mozia, S.A.N. and Chief H.O. Ogbodu, S.A.N. as the 1st and 2nd Alternate Chairmen respectively and directed them to contact the said Committee for further enquiries, if they so wish.

5. Having been vindicated by the Egbe Amofin O’ dua, under the distinguished Leadership of Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, S.A.N., by their subsequent publication of a Rejoinder refuting the above publication of Patrick Oganwu, Esq. on a purported agreement between the two Fora, I say no more, save to reassure all the distinguished Members of this great Forum, that in line with the democratic mandate you overwhelmingly gave me and my Executive Committee Members by our unanimous Election, we shall always seek your consent and approval before taking any decision that would affect the Members of this Forum; and we shall never go behind you to negotiate your fate with any other Forum without your knowledge and consent.

Long live the Mid-West Bar Forum!
Long live the Nigerian Bar Association!

SIGNED:
CHIKE ONYEMENAM, S.A.N. MRS. BENEDICTA OKODUWA
(CHAIRMAN MWBF) (SECRETARY MWBF)