The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is facing several controversies during its 2024 Annual General Conference (AGC) in Lagos.
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The event, which is being held at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, has been marred by various issues, ranging from the NBA President’s unprecedented self-nomination to the Body of Benchers to attendees’ dissatisfaction with the conference arrangements.
The pre-Conference NEC meeting, which took place on Saturday, August 24th, witnessed a controversial move by the sitting NBA President, Mr. Y.C. Maikyau SAN. During the meeting, Maikyau nominated himself as the NBA representative to the Body of Benchers Nigeria. This action was met with opposition from NEC members, leading Maikyau to withdraw his nomination. However, a member from the Ikeja branch re-nominated him, and the nomination was subsequently approved and adopted. This marks the first time in over 20 years that a pre-Conference NEC has been used to nominate an outgoing President into the Body of Benchers.
Another issue that did not surface during the NEC meeting was the planned suspension of the NBA’s National Treasurer, Mrs. Caroline Ladidi Anze-Bishop. Despite earlier indications that the matter would be addressed, the NEC did not raise the issue, leaving attendees curious about the outcome.
Apart from the controversies surrounding the NEC meeting, attendees of the 2024 AGC have expressed their dissatisfaction with the conference arrangements.
Meal tickets for the event only cover two days, with one meal per day, leaving many lawyers disappointed. To make matters worse, lawyers were reportedly subjected to maltreatment by security personnel at the venue of the cocktail welcome party. Some were denied entry due to the lack of an access card, a requirement that was not previously communicated. The cocktail was sponsored by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, raising questions about whether he was informed about the number of lawyers expected or if he provided refreshments that were misappropriated by some individuals.
Also, the quality of the conference materials provided to attendees has also come under scrutiny. Some lawyers have compared the materials to those given to nursery and primary school students, despite the high registration fees. The cost of registration spaces at the popular Mami-market, a venue known for its bustling trade activities during the AGC, has also been a point of contention. The spaces are being sold at a premium price of N200,000, and vendors are transferring the costs from overcharged book stands and temporary shops to attendees.
The displeasure with the conference arrangements has been echoed by a professor from Kwara State University, Malete, who took to Facebook to express his concerns. He stated, “Please NBA let us change for; 1) It’s unfair to give us materials as if we are in the nursery and primary school after the huge sums of money paid…”
Meanwhile, TheNigeriaLawyer also observed that the materials given to lawyers were branded with names of different firms and companies supporting the conference, such as BUA Group and FIRS.
Every component of this AGC had sponsors! FCDA was sponsored.
The jotter was sponsored by FIRS. The lanyard used for the name tag has the names of the sponsors, including the Lagos State Government.
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