NBA Reacts To CAC RG’s Decision To Discontinue Presentation Of “CAC’s Report” To NBA AGM.

*Says NBA Will Not Tolerate The Inefficiency Any Longer
*Says The Registrar General Declines Because He Is Unhappy With The Bad Press Releases From Members Of The Association
*Says CAC Is Doing A Terrible Job

The Nigerian Bar Association has called out the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission Abubakar Garba, over his ineptitude. This resolution was reached at the ongoing Annual General Conference of the Bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Abubakar had written a letter to the President, Olumide Akpata, which was read at the Hall of the AGM, stating that the Commission was not presenting its report at the AGM.

Lawyers did not only see the letter as insolence to the Bar but a failure on the Commission from carrying out its responsibilities effectively. An Abuja Lawyers, Shun F. Kennedy, while reacting to the action of the RG, said Abubakar is Arrogant.

“Abubakar has been hostile, rude to all lawyers especially those in Abuja who are into corporate practice.

“He tells you that he’s from the Presidency and don’t care about your complaints or the rate of service delivered by the Commission. “I heard you Constituted Committee and yet he does not regard it. This is the height. All his predecessors came to AGM to give their reports and interactions are held.

“This man being a lawyer needs to be called to order. It’s enough for him, Mr. President.”

Babatunde Kayode from NBA Ikeja branch said it is not okay for NBA to react to the letter, rather the President should allow it to exist peacefully. “We do not need him to report here. If he does not want us to get involved in whatever he does at the Commission, let us allow him.”

In defending the Registrar of CAC, two lawyers were of the opinion that It is the representatives of NBA in those bodies that should present the report and not the Chief Executives. One said it is a wake-up call for the Bar and suggested that NBA should take inventories of all its representatives of her statutory body, while the other said the Reps should be held accountable if any of the Chief Executives fail to appear at the AGM for the report.

The president, Olumide Akpata, while disagreeing with the statements said he does not think the problem is whether or not the Association has a list of its Representatives or not. He said it has been a long practice that it is the Chief Executives that presents reports at AGM which Seniors at the Bar can attest to.

Tony Ojukwu, said NBA should not honor the RG, by replying to the letter. “Let this fuse out. This is government, by the time he leaves office, this will be the end of the matter. The next RG maybe someone who honors the Bar and will be willing to present a report to NBA.”

Obafemi Obawale, said “we have had a long history of having these reports on an annual basis. That letter was in reaction to an invitation by the NBA to RG, as we have always done. “We cannot as a foremost body react to that letter in anger or with sentiment.

“It is important that you find out what led to this letter. The letter is a reaction to something, we need to know what caused it.”

Akpata noted that Abubakar, would not want to be called out because of his inefficiencies. “In the last one year, the association has been relating with the Commission. We have a colleague who is running a commission that interfaces with members of the Association as far as these lawyers are concerned CAC is underperforming. “What we have is that Abubakar is not happy with us and the truth is that we can’t help it.”

“If those of our colleagues who are at the receiving end of the bad service say they will not accept bad services any longer, are they supposed to pretend that he is giving good services to them?

“I have asked our colleagues to be patient with him because he is our colleague but the truth is, there’s a limit to the patience of those who are at the receiving end.

“It is clear to me that he is unhappy because the bad press he is receiving now as Registrar is from us. “The complaints from lawyers who use the service of CAC is that the Commission is doing a really terrible job. We
have set up Task Force and created Helpdesk, yet the complaints kept coming.

“It is not wise to engage Abubakar or members of the Commission as to why no report was presented. “We know where the problem is coming from. If A. G. Abubakar and the CAC would not like us to mention the inefficiencies at the CAC, it’s not going to happen. If they’re not efficient, we’ll call them out,” The President added.

The Chairman Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige SAN, suggested the Association escalate the matter with the supervising Minister for Trade, Otunba Adebayo, who is also a lawyer.

“This will not only be on the letter written to us but on the inefficiency of the Registrar.

“What is happening there is a negation of government on the ease of doing business, therefore we must go beyond the letter.”