Group demands resignation of NBA’s president, refund of N300m to Rivers

Apparently not giving up, women from various ethnic groups in Rivers have again appealed to President Bola Tinubu to lift the State of Emergency imposed in the state.
  
The women comprising Yorubas, Hausas, Igbos, Ijaws, and Ishekiri, among many others, lamented that the Emergency regime is taking a great toll on them, the youths and the children, emphasising that the economy is sliding down and gradually becoming comatose.

The women, however, expressed joy over the meeting between the President and Governor Siminalayi Fubara in London, saying it indicates that better days are ahead. They thanked Tinubu for giving the governor a listening ear.
   
The group stressed the need for sustainable peace and development in the country and prayed for the quick restoration of democratic institutions in Rivers State.
  
Speaking during a prayer and praise session held at Isaac Boro Park on Thursday, organised by the women Unite for Sim Prayer group, an environmental expert and Former State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya, assured that Rivers people will stand with Tinubu, if he accedes to their fervent cry and lift the burden of emergency rule and restore the duly elected governor, Fubara.
 
Reading a statement signed by Vivian Ige-Elenwo and Chikodi Okpara, Konya said, “We remain resolute in this demand for the sake of equity, justice and good conscience. We, as Rivers Women, are also calling for genuine reconciliation amongst the parties and ask the major actors to put Rivers State first in all their dealings and to put aside every grievance to pave the way for love and absolute peace to thrive”. 
   
“It is obvious that our State is the major loser of the emergency rule, as many development actions are on suspension and our people are languishing in anxiety as a result.”

Let us all rise above self and be patriotic to salvage our State from this abyss. That is why we are appealing to Mr. President to save the economy of our dear State and urgently lift this emergency rule to provide for a seamless return to progressive development.” 
   
The women further sympathised with families who lost loved ones in the recent killing attacks in Plateau, Benue and Gombe and called for more security measures to confront the dire situation and restore normalcy in those troubled areas of the nation. 

MEANWHILE, the last is yet to be heard of the crisis rocking the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), as some of its members, under the aegis of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL), have demanded the resignation of the NBA’s President, Afam Osigwe. 
 
At a press briefing held in Abuja yesterday, PILL’s President, Dr. Abdul Mahmud, also insisted on the immediate refund of N300 million “gift” to the NBA by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the coffers of the Rivers State.
   
PILL also demanded the resignation of Mr. Emeka Obegolu as Chairman of the Annual General Conference Organising Committee in line with the necessary acts of organisational cleansing of the NBA.
   
PILL contended that the NBA, under Osigwe’s leadership, cannot posture as a watchdog of public morality while it engages in conduct devoid of the very standards it seeks to impose on others.