Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lokoja NEC Meeting: A confluence of ideas

Yet, … No one left the psyche of delegates at the NEC meeting with more lasting impressions, hope for the future and engaging thoughts than the President of the NBA himself, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, OON SAN, who delivered an exquisite Presidential address which was generally accepted as a superlative policy document for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He presented NBA’s position on the State of the Nation, plight of Judges who had not been arraigned for trial, inadequacies of the war against corruption, the return of 82 Chibok girls, the celebrated triumph of military operations in the North East, the Niger Delta, Southern Kaduna and other crisis zones and presented a report on the State of the Bar. Further, the NEC received the Report of the Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN, led Legal Profession Regulations Review Committee (LPRRC) which was presented by Professor Agom on behalf of the chairman, and which was littered with ingenuous ideas on advancing the course of the Bar, especially the plight of young lawyers. The Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello who was the Host, appraised the relationship between his government and the State Judiciary, which he described as that of father and son with the Judiciary being the father. He explained how he had changed the face of the judiciary through the provision of required infrastructure at the courts; and charged the Bar and Bench to up their games in order to move Nigeria forward. The Chief Judge of Kogi State Honourable Justice Nasiru Ajanah, CON, earlier treated the NEC members to a welcome dinner party which held at his residence, the day before on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, told the NEC meeting that Kogi State Judiciary enjoyed administrative and financial autonomy, and the government would build a Bar Centre for the Lokoja branch of the NBA. Further, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kogi State announced the employment of 100 lawyers into the State Ministry of Justice and installation of electronic platform in order to ease administration of justice. Furthermore, Professor Konyisola Ajayi, SAN, Chairman, Technical Committee on National Conference Planning (TCCP), whilst announcing details of the 2017 Annual General Conference (AGC) told the NEC members that; conferences over the years have not met the expectations of most of participants in terms of quality and delivery of conference packaging and resources while assuring that the forthcoming conference would do away with conference bags, give jobs to lawyers, reposition the Bar, enhance the present infrastructure and equip it to drive the vision for #ABraveNewBar as well as help restore the confidence and respect to lawyers locally and globally. The news of the Conference, the tablets and the conference fee as announced by Professor Konyisola Ajayi, SAN, has gone viral, with very high expectations, and the 2017 AGC may turn out to be the benchmark for excellence in Conference organisation by the Nigerian Bar Association. A rain of ideas indeed; but, the climax of the Lokoja 2017 NEC meeting was the passing of a Vote of Confidence on the NBA President, A. B. Mahmoud OON, SAN by the entire membership of the NEC. During the NEC Meeting, after a careful review of the lingering NBA crisis and constitutional debacle, especially the adroit philosophical resolution of same by the NBA President, A. B. Mahmoud, OON, SAN; and further to an erudite presentation and Motion by Mr. Obafemi Adewale, a NEC member on the leadership craftsmanship of the NBA President in resolving the issues, which Motion was seconded by Chief Dele Adeshina, SAN, the NBA NEC unanimously passed a Vote of Confidence on the present Leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by A. B. Mahmoud, SAN. Chief Dele Adeshina, SAN, going further, described as the hallmark of statesmanship the NBA President’s peaceful approach to crisis resolution and this has won the admiration of everyone. The NEC gave the NBA President a standing ovation and cheers of the song; “For he’s a jolly good fellow; so says all of us”. More details about the 2017 AGC will be circulated in no distant time. What a NEC Meeting … Bukar Alhaji Waziri, Esq. National Publicity Secretary Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) June 10, 2017]]>