NBA President Maikyau Accused Of Mismanagement And Nepotism In IT Contract Dispute

Adams Myshelia Makarios, CEO of Webitscure Technologies and Innovations Ltd., finds himself embroiled in a contentious battle with Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) According to foundation for investigative journalism report.

The dispute centers around an IT contract awarded by the NBA and its subsequent management. What began as a professional arrangement has escalated into allegations of nepotism, cyberattacks, and withholding payment.

Webitscure Technologies initially engaged with the NBA during the tenure of former president Olumide Akpata, providing cybersecurity and technology innovation services for the association’s electronic elections. When Akpata’s tenure ended, the contract should have concluded as well. However, President Maikyau extended the contract due to the successful partnership.

Under Maikyau’s leadership, Webitscure continued to provide services and began work on automating the collection and processing of the 2023 annual bar practising fee (BPF). After completing 70% of the project, the company requested payment for their services, but instead of payment, they faced hostility and ultimately lost the contract.

Maikyau replaced Webitscure Technologies with Giant Beats Resources, owned by his nephew Solomon Magaji. This abrupt change in contractors was accompanied by allegations of unpaid services and accusations of blackmail. Webitscure’s CEO, Makarios, claims that Magaji had no clear role in the project and caused disruptions in the project’s execution, including unauthorized password changes and access to critical assets.

The conflict further escalated with a cyberattack on the NBA domain server. Webitscure reported suspicions that Magaji was involved in the attack, while Magaji demanded access to critical software codes, which Webitscure denied.

Webitscure’s pleas for payment, an audit of their services, and resolution of the issues were met with silence from the NBA. The company submitted a petition to the police’s cybercrime unit, which, as of now, has yet to make progress without the Inspector General of Police’s approval.

President Maikyau responded to the dispute with accusations of blackmail and non-cooperation. He stated that Webitscure declined to release data and deliberately shut down key functionalities of the NBA’s website.

Despite the allegations and counter-allegations, the case underscores concerns about transparency, fairness, and the misuse of power in awarding and managing contracts within professional organizations. As the dispute continues, it remains to be seen how it will impact the NBA’s reputation and its relationships with other service providers in the future.