NBA Crisis: No Contact With Splinter Group, Says NBA

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said it was yet to receive contact from the conveners or members of the splinter group.

It said it was prepared to meet and reconcile with the aggrieved lawyers for the purpose of a united Bar.

NBA Publicity Secretary Dr Rapuluchukwu Nduka told The Nation, Not TheNigerialawyer that there was no interest in sanctioning anyone, noting that all lawyers had freedom of association.

The NBA has been facing a challenge to its unity following an announcement by TWO Kaduna-based lawyers that they had formed the NNBA.

The Conveners, Abdulbasit Suleiman from Ogbomoso in Oyo State and Nuhu Ibrahim from Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State, said their disenchantment followed the NBA National Executive Committee’s withdrawal of an Annual General Conference (AGC) speaking engagement it offered Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, among other grievances.

Abdulbasit told The Nation last Tuesday that over 5,000 lawyers from the North and seven Southern States had indicated interest in joining the NNBA.

Suleiman said prospective members had been asked to compile lists in their branches across the country.

Those who subscribed to NNBA membership, he added, included Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, from the North.

No SAN from the South had indicated interest.

But the NNBA’s claims have been doubted by stakeholders.

On Wednesday, NBA President Olumide met with northern Bar leaders who dissociated themselves from any splinter group of the association, including the NNBA.

Dr Nduka said the NBA was not unwilling to meet or be met by the conveners of the group, but it had not been able to do so.

He said: “I can confirm that the NBA did not receive any letter from the conveners of the New NBA.

“If eventually we get in touch with those lawyers who are aggrieved, we want a united Bar, so, by all means we will do everything we can so that we can come together.

“If we have a splinter group, it doesn’t help anyone. We don’t know the conveners, but if there is a way we can get across to them, by all means we will gladly get across to them so that we don’t have groups. NBA is one and we want a united Bar that will take care of all its members, regardless of their inclinations.”

Regarding steps already taken to solve the crisis, Nduka said it was difficult “to reach out to people you don’t even know,” which was why it met with leaders of the northern Bar.

“The major thing we did is to look out for the leaders of the Bar, because NBA has a comprehensive list of different branches, their secretaries and chairmen. These are the leaders of the Bar within any region. Then we can also talk about maybe Senior Advocates of Nigeria within that area and maybe some very senior lawyers….

“These are the people that we reached out to. These are the people that the NBA can get to…

“Prior to the meeting, the assumption was that maybe some of them were behind or part of the splinter group or whatever.

“But when we reached out to them, we found out that their claim (of 5,000 subscribers) was actually untrue and the Bar chairmen are still loyal to the Bar.”