There is no gain saying that registration for the NBA annual conference has started. This is after more than a few censures here and there, about the way and manner the conference has been organized.
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Few weeks ago, three categories of registration were introduced by the National body for the NBA. They are: The Early Bird registration, from the 20th of June, 2017 to the 19th of June 2017, Regular Fee Registration, from the 20th of July, 2017 to the 9th of August, 2017, and Late and Site Fee, from August 10th up to the day of the Conference.
Respectively these categories have/had their different outlined costs of registration depending on the number-post call years of each and/or classes of legal practitioners. For the Early Bird Registration, Lawyers of 5 years post call are to pay N20, 000, 6-10 years practice, N30, 000, 11-14 years practice N40, 000, 15- 20 years post call, N60,000, and above 20 years in practice N100,000. For the Regular Fee Registration, Lawyers of 5 years post call are to pay N40, 000 on this part, N60, 000 for those of 6-10 years post call, N70, 000 for those between 11-14 years post call, N90, 000 for those of 15-20 years post call, and N150,000 for those of above 20 years post call and for the Late and site fee, Lawyers of five years post call are to pay a total sum of N80,000, 6-10 years post call N120,000, 11-14 years post call, N140, 000, 15-20 years post call, N180, 000 and those of above 20 years post call N300, 000.
The fees as dyed above triggered scores of retorts here and there upon the broadcast. Oodles of young Lawyers criticized the packagess, saying that the plights of young lawyers are not taken into consideration especially in this period of threatening economic recession. Some alarmed erstwhile experiences where Lawyers end up engaging in mouthful squabbles like touts when they could not be recipients to the then promised juicy packages after the Conference. However, the administration maintained their ground against the grumbles of the Bar. They were of the opinion that the fee and the packages that follow afterwards areonly but reasonable for a reasonable man.
When it became palpable that the National Body was gritty on maintaining the scheduled fees against the outcries of young lawyers,there was no healthier option on the mend than to hold the horses for 20th of June, 2017, which was heralded to be the bare bones of the Early Bird Registration as it is called. However, against many lawyer’s expectations, the website for registration did not function or should I say, could not be accessible by visitors as at the 20th day of June, 2017.
This hurdle was faced for days before the site eventually started working. From the foregoing, it is obvious that the Early Bird Lawyers, if I may use that term, were cheated of some days before the registration began few days back. Therefore, it is only normal and proper that the Early bird registration be extended from the 19th of July, 2017 which was fixed as the last day for this category to a later date, at least some days equal with the number of days lost or even more grace’s sake.This way, they won’t be made to bite the bullet. But against this expectation which should be the expectation of every reasonable man, the early bird registration ended earlier than fixed. As at the 6th day of July, 2017, lawyers could not register under the juicy category anymore.
This is so unacceptable and immoderate. The NBA national Conference is an annual event that does not just visit the moon;it ordinarily should involve a whole lot of forecasting and broadcasting. Website/portal that should be used for the registration ought to have been designed and made functional, with a strong web capacity accommodation even before the first day of registration, even though registration would/should start on the first day.
That way, visitors will not start marrying the problematic bride of logging in at the day of registration. This was not done, and when it seems visitors were just waking up from the dream of ‘cheated days’ all the organizers knew best to do was to end the early bird registration package few days before the proposed/promised date. This is too bad for Iscariot.It is just like a bride filling for a divorce. The latest happenings in the NBA show that this current administration has a lot of home work to do. There are just too many errors at a time or at a length of time and my mouth won’t be water-logged to say that about two centuries ago, lawyers have already lost confidence and faith in this current administration. Two centuries? Yes, I say two centuries. You can ponder on my hyperbole. You are most welcomed.
Remember the juicy promises? Brand new tablets worth N250, 000 to be available at the Conference, and to be given to each person who pays; The value- added spices are amongst others, free Law Pavilion for 1 year and the Laws of Nigeria; SIM and data enabled; feeding to be taking care of for 5 days; arrangement to be made to broadcast conference on DSTV dedicated channel and lots more. These are packages that are money incentive are expected to be partly financed with money realized from registration. And with the current economy down-tune facing every spheres of life in Nigeria, it is only expected that Lawyers take advantage of the early bird registration. This is the sun before our day.
Could it be that the early bird registration is been shut out because NBA has sensed it that the more lawyers beat the early bird deadline, the less the money it may make to finance the packages? Could this be the reason? Else, why should NBA which is the number one body that ought to play by manifold examples act almost or near fraudulent by shutting down the early bird registration before the deadline? What elucidations does NBA have to give as to why their promise is breached without any notice whatsoever, or a similitude of such tendered to spectacle before closing the curtain?
This is anti-demo-kratia, and a u-turn from reasonable reasons. NBA must not make any attempt to feed us from the pot of Iscariot. It must learn to listen to the complaints of members; it must be up and doing, and understand that Leadership is not all about making decisions that stands, but making decisions that would benefit those they are made for. NBA must know that its affairs are not the affairs of Pharoah’s palace but the affairs of the people; because the palace and the people are two different wings with different feathers. There are just too many complains about this administration which give a signal that there are too many wrong steps taken at the wrong time, and many wrong steps taken at the right time.
NBA must explain WHY IT CLIPPED THE WINGS OF THE EARLY BIRD, and as well not keep up to its promise, unless it wants to make us understand that we must be fed from the Pot of Iscariot. By ‘IT’, I mean the National Executive Committee.
Dele Abbas is a legal Practitioner, based in Canada, and can be reached through deleaabbas36@gmail.com
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