Usoro, Ojukwu, Osigwe Absent At The EBF Meeting, As Lawyers Reject Adoption

* Don’t be used as a tool to destroy EBF, Governor Wike charges EBF * NBA Port Harcourt Branch rejects adoption of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as sole candidate * Lawyers reject adoption of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as sole candidate, demands for south south bar forum Some members of the Eastern Bar Forum have rejected the adoption of the a sole candidate in the person of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN for the office of Presidency of the NBA. Information disclosed to TheNigerialawyer reveals that the controversy started when a motion to that effect was raised and subsequently opposed by other lawyers. Some lawyers who rejected the adoption are of the opinion that the Eastern Bar Forum has been hijacked by some fellows. To them, someone from south south must be given a chance because for five times, the EBF has only been projecting Igbo candidates. To them this is not fair as members from the south south are made to believe that they are not important, hence they are demanding for the creation of a south south bar forum. The opposition was followed by an atmosphere of shunning and shouting from all quarters by other lawyers in support of the motion. A lawyer who spoke to TheNigerialawyer stated that he was present in the scene, and as such witnessed all that happened. According to him, Arthur Obi Okafor SAN was recommended to the EBF by the screening committee as the sole candidate who submitted to the traditional screening process. He was adopted consequent upon a motion to adopt all the candidates recommended by the screening committee. Reps of other fora of the NBA (Arewa, mid west, Egbe etc) came out in turn to confirm their foras acceptance of the EBF endorsed candidates esp of Arthur Obi Okafor SAN as EBFs endorsed sole presidential candidate. A few people walked out but that was insignificant as they were clearly supporters of some other candidate/s who had not submitted themselves for screening and were not even at the EBF meeting. In another development, the Port Harcourt Branch of the NBA has refuted a news making the rounds that it is in support of the adoption. Hear the statement: “It has come to my attention that the NBA Port Harcourt Branch was recorded as having acceded to the adoption of candidates for NBA Presidency 2018, during the meeting of the Governing Council of the Eastern Bar Forum held in Port Harcourt on the 3rd of January 2018. I wish to clarify that at no time did the NBA Port Harcourt Branch or its leadership discuss, agree or authorize any such adoption of candidates on its behalf. It therefore stands to reason that any opinion expressed in support of same by anyone in that regard to the EBF is personal to him and not a decision of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch nor the Branch EXCO. However, the executive governor of Rivers State, Wyesom Wike has charged members of the Forum to speak in one voice. This he made known in the Eastern Bar forum’s quarterly meeting. According to the governor who doubles as a legal practitioner, discussion taken in the forum may not be acceptable by all members, but speaking with one voice is the only way out. To him, even if there should be a quarrel which is inevitable, it should end at the forum’s level. He therefore charged members not to allow themselves to be used as tools to destroy the branch.]]>