A Port Harcourt based lawyer, Dr. Promise Wobo Iwezor has debunked the rumour that the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has been disbanded. Recall that NBA National Executive Council (NEC) ordered the immediate removal of the Executive Committee of the Section.
The NEC accused the NBA-SPIDEL chairman, John Aikpoko-Martins, of engaging in activities that undermined the authority of the NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), and the council.
NBA-SPIDEL under the leadership of Aikpoko-Martins had been challenging the decisions of government institutions and individuals in court. Iwezor explained that the executive committee of the Section was suspended and not disbanded.
“The NBA President needs to be on notice of anything happening in those sections. It is not as if the president took a selfish decision against them, NBA-SPIDEL is an arm of the Bar. He only suspended them; he never disbanded them. He also set up a caretaker committee to make sure that the body is in order.
“NBA-SPIDEL is under the NBA. The decision of the NBA President is the decision for all. He made a pronouncement and it was supported, so it is not that he came out to make a decision on his own, NEC gave him the support.
“There is no crisis in the NBA because the president remains the president of the bar and any other forum is subject to him, and all the forums may take a decision but still have to wait for the presidential approval,” he explained.
Dr Iwezor, who hails from Mgbuesilaru town in Okporo in Evo kingdom of Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State, was the Financial Secretary, Okpo Club of Nigeria (Association of lawyers from Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality) from 2006 – 2010; Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Isiokpo Branch, 2010 – 2012; Secretary, NBA, Isiokpo Branch, 2012 – 2014; Member, NBA Natural Resources Committee, 2012 – 2014 and Chairman, NBA, Isiokpo Branch 2014 – 2016.
He was also the treasurer and Member, Governing Council of Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) between 2014 – 2016; Chairman, NBA-AGC Transport Committee, Port Harcourt 2015 – 2017; Member, NBA Anti-Corruption Committee; Member of NBA NEC representing NBA, Isiokpo Branch, among other positions held.
According to him, these positions he had occupied in the Bar showed his dedication and services to the Association. Dr. Iwezor, a Justice of Peace of Rivers State, is also a Notary Public of Nigeria. He recently became a member, Chartered Institute of Arbitration of Nigeria, a Qualified Mediator and a Chartered Management Consultant. He is also a member of Port Harcourt Host Community Development Trust and Chairman Logistic Base Host Community Development Trust.
