Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Law  

Lawyer wants CJN to set up NBA caretaker committee, suspend accounts

By Godwin Dunia
04 April 2017   |   3:06 am
A lawyer, A. C. Ozioko, has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen to constitute a Caretaker Committee to take over the administration of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Onnoghen

A lawyer, A. C. Ozioko, has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen to constitute a Caretaker Committee to take over the administration of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

This followed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja which sacked the Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), led executives of the NBA in the case of Supo Ojo and Registered Trustees of the Association in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/545/2016.

Ozioko, who is counsel to the plaintiff, in a letter dated March 30, 2017, is asking the CJN to constitute a Caretaker Committee pending the election of new officers for the association under a constitution recognised by the laws of the land. But the NBA has filed an appeal against the decision.

The letter also reads: “You may also recall that the 2016 NBA national officers’ election held on July 30 and 31, 2016 was conducted through electronic voting in line with the voided amended 2015 NBA Constitution.

“The obvious resultant effect of the Court judgment in this case is that the 2016 NBA national officers’ election which ushered in the administration of Mahmoud has been nullified and voided in its totality in line with relief three granted by the Court, thus the NBA currently does not have a national leadership.

“Put differently, the tenure of the Mahmoud led NBA has ended abruptly by virtue of the instant court judgment, thus necessitating the takeover of the administration and management of the affairs of the NBA forthwith by the General Council of the Bar and subsequent —-conduct of fresh NBA national elections under the extant 2001 NBA Constitution, in line with its statutory obligations”.

Also, the plaintiff has written another letter to Access Bank requesting for suspension of operations in NBA accounts with the bank, pending the takeover of the administration and management of the affairs of the association by the proposed caretaker committee.

The letter, which was dated March31, 2017, was copied the President of the General Council of the Bar, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), Mahmoud, former General Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Isiaka Abiola Olagunju and former Treasurer of the NBA, Abdullahi Aisha Ado.

The letter also states in part: “Following from the above, the President, Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, (SAN), the General Secretary, Mr. Isiaka Abiola Olagunju and the Treasurer, Abdullahi Aisha Ado, who are signatories to account numbers-0000976716, 0694192920 and any other account number held in any name whatsoever by the Nigerian Bar Association should not be allowed to operate and manage these accounts from henceforth”.

0 Comments