ADEKUNLE AJASA ESQ

Who is Prince Adekunle Ajasa?
Prince Adekunle Ajasa was born in Ikorodu in Lagos State of Nigeria on the 13th December 1960. I attended Salvation Army Primary School in Ikorodu and obtained First School Leaving Certificate in 1971. I attended Lagos City College, Yaba for my Secondary School and Passed my WASC in 1977.
I graduated from the Lagos State University, Ojo in 1998. I attended Nigerian Law School, Bwari Abuja, and was called to Bar on 31st July, 1999. I am a Registered Associate of Nigerian Institute of Management (ANIM) with Chartered Number 29567 and became chartered in 1993. I worked in various banks, up to management level and voluntarily retired in 1995 from Nigerian Merchant Bank Plc, Cowries House at Adeyemo Alakija, Victoria Island, Lagos. I am an active and registered member of ICAN with registration No. 14362 and passed the Professional Examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) in May 1991with Candidate No 911/10644/PZ/Z. During the period of working in banks, I passed all the levels of professional Banking Examinations such as Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (ACIB) professional Examinations part 1 and 2 (Final) and became Chartered Banker on the 29th July 1994 with Chartered Number of ANA 404.
I am an active Member of Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association from 1999 to 2008 and have attended all Conferences from year 2000 to 2008 and all NEC meetings from 2000 till date. I have been in active Legal Practice since I was called to Bar and did pupilage in the Chambers of Mr. Abiodun Dabiri who was the former Chairman of Lagos (Premier) Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association. I have been participating in Bar Activities in Ikeja Branch of NBA since 1999. I have been actively involved in the running of the affairs of the NBA Ikeja Branch since year 2002 till date. I have served as an Officer of the Ikeja Branch from 2002 to 2004 as an Ex-Officio. I have served as “Social Secretary” of Ikeja from year 2004 to 2006. I have served as “Welfare Secretary” of Ikeja Branch from year 2006 to 2008. I have also served in various Committees at Ikeja Branch of our great association from year 2000 to 2008 such as “welfare, Human Rights, New Legal year and Court Monitoring” etc. I equally served in various Committees at National Level of our great Association in the past. I am a practicing Catholic and I attend Saint Ferdinand’s Catholic Church Boys Town, Ipaja, Lagos. I am the General Secretary of Catholic Men Organization of St. Ferdinand’s Catholic Church Boys Town, Ipaja, Lagos. I am the Agege Deanery General Secretary of Catholic Men Organisation. I am the Assistant Public Relation Officer of Catholic Men Organisation of Archdiocese of Lagos, which is the highest decision body of Catholic Men in Lagos. I am happily married and we have three Lovely Children: Two (2) Boys and One (1) Girl.
My philosophy in life is determination to succeed through hardwork and self discipline as a man. I also believe strongly in the words of God, and have fear of God in all things I lay my hands upon. I strongly believe in Rule of Law, equity and justice and hate cheating, Injustice to fellow mankind.

What qualities and antecedents do you have to warrant you become the Assistant Financial Secretary of the NBA?
I have a good pedigree in occupying the post of Assistant Financial Secretary due to the followings reasons:
I am a professional man to the core who specialized in the field of accounting, banking, finance and law. As a chartered banker of high repute who had worked in various banks, and risen to the position of Management Staff in the Nigeria Banking Industry. I have the capacity to discharge my duties better than my opponents who do not have such professional qualifications as I possess. As a tested accountant, in which I did the examination from foundation level to professional level, I passed my ICAN Examinations right from foundation level to professional level in the field of accounting.
Therefore, I am well qualified to occupy the post of Assistant Financial Secretary of our great Association; even qualify to occupy the post of Financial Secretary based on my qualifications.
I am a tested leader and have track records of tremendous achievements which can be seen through records at Ikeja Branch during the six years I served the branch as an officer.

Do you agree with the suggestion that the post of Assistant Financial Secretary is one of the innocuous posts in the NBA Executive Committee that should be done away with?
I do not agree with the suggestion that the post of Assistant Financial Secretary is an innocuous one that can be done away with, anyway. Section 13(8) spells out the duties of Financial Secretary including collecting practising fees of all Lawyers throughout the country and to ensure that all lawyers pay their practicing fees. When I win the election, I will ensure that;
1. All Lawyers, practising or not, pay their practicing fees.
2. I will introduce data banking, where all practising fees collected from all the 88 Branches can be verified and 10% Rebate are remitted to Branches and can be verified by members.
3. I will assist the Financial Secretary to ensure accountability, probity will be our watchword while Honesty, trustworthiness will be my hallmarks during our administration.
4. My programs for the post of Assistant Financial Secretary will be in line with Section 13(8),(9) of our constitution, as follows:
i To ensure all lawyers pay their practising fees as at when due.
ii To ensure that all branches enjoy the approved 10% Rebate which I will personally deliver the cheques to all branch chairmen throughout the country.
iii I will assist branches in setting up good financial records, where there are none and to ensure that all non-trading accounts are opened. E.g (1) Receipt and payment Account, (2) Income and Expenditure Account, (3) Balance Sheet, (4) Ensuring that all Branch Assets are valued and reflected in their branch accounts.
iv I will ensure all NBA assets throughout the country are valued by professional bodies and the current market rate are used as this will be reflect in our financial records.
v I will work very well to ensure that quarterly financial Report of all our financial transactions are presented to the NEC through the national President of NBA.
vi I will carry out other duties assigned to me to perform by the President and NEC
vii I will attend all meetings called by the executives, NEC and all conferences.
viii I will be a good team player and work closely with the Financial Secretary to ensure we succeed during our tenure.

How can legal education be strengthened in Nigeria and the practice of law made more lucrative?
Legal Education can be strengthened in Nigeria through continuous legal education programmes, by mandating all Branches to carry out Seminars, Lectures and at very moderate fees for all lawyers to benefit.

What are your chances of success in this elections?
My chances of success are very high, because of my past track records of great achievements in education, and practical performance from my branch, relationship with colleagues, which I stand out better than my two opponents; this was confirmed at Onitsha when three of us addressed the NEC members; and as a core professional, my chances are very high to win the Election as Assistant Secretary of our great Association.
Thanks.

BARTH OKOYE ANICHE ESQ

WHO IS BARTH OKOYE-ANICHE ESQ?
Barth Okoye Aniche Esq. is a legal practitioner of No. 89 Jubilee Road, Aba, Abia State. He attended University of Nigeria and was called to the Nigerian Bar in December 1991. Has served the Nigerian Bar Association as Publicity Secretary 2004-2006 and is still serving as Welfare Secretary 2006 – August, 2008.

You are not a new face in the Executive Committee, infact you have held so far three different offices and you are now gunning for the fourth (3rd Vice President) why is this so?
The truth of the matter is that I have held two different offices in the National Executive Committee and not three as suggested. I am gunning for the 3rd Vice president because I want to position myself well in a manner to affect decisions at the National Exco. Moreover because I have been there by popular mandate since 2004, leaving at this stage will mean taking away all the experiences I have gained. If I take it away just like that, it will make no meaning because our great association which has given me the exposure will not benefit. So the whole idea is to give it all back to Nigerian bar Association. It will be too illegitimate to quit at this stage.

About four of you are in the race to become the 3rd Vice President of the NBA; why do you want the voters to choose you over others?
Yes originally, we were Four gunning for this office viz (1) Barth Okoye Aniche Esq. (2) Bode Makinde Esq (3) Sir Idike of NBA Agbor Branch (4) Grandville 1. Abibo Esq. but at Onitsha NEC, Grandville 1 Abibo Esq. withdrew from the race leaving off the three of us. I want the voters to choose me over the rest because of my antecedents as a National Officer. As the Publicity Secretary NBA, I tried my best to give a good image to the NBA and discharged very well other functions delegated or relegated to my office. Somehow I want to believe that it was because of that performance that I was elected unopposed in 2006 unanimously by the members of our great Association. I have gannered the experience to move NBA forward. No other contestant with me is as experienced as my self.
Meanwhile I have been regular and has used my positions selflessly, touching the lives and associating with the members very well. All these and more I believe will make the voters choose me over the rest. I am not posing if I say that I am a candidate to be reckoned with in this election.

In the last two years what in your opinion is the greatest achievement of the Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) administration and what should be the most important achievement of the incoming Rotimi Akeredolu SAN administration?
I think the greatest achievements of Olisa Agbakoba’s administration are:
i. Rebranding the NBA (giving the name NBA a meaning). The most crucial of this rebranding formular is the repositioning of the NBA and making it more formidable within and without the country.

ii. The mandatory continuing legal education which I suggest should be dissolved and targeted to benefit the members depending on the nature and features of law practice applicable to the area.

iii. The NBA Human Rights Institute. I think the time has come for Human Rights to be taken seriously in this country.

The incoming Oluwarotimi Akeredola SAN administration should focus on;
(1) Strengthening and maintaining the tempo of the new NBA

(2) Do more work on the mandatory continuing legal education by giving it a heart by this I mean that the MCLE should target to train lawyers more on their necessary area of practice. Query,: would teaching a lawyer in Aba or Abuja Marine law and Practice make any difference?

(3) Furthermore the NBA Human Rights Institute should be further strengthened and positioned to meet with the challenges within its terms of reference.

What do you think can be done to Strengthen legal education in Nigeria and how can the practice of law be made more lucrative in the Country?
It is my view and I think a lot of lawyers share the same view that legal education in Nigeria can be strengthened if the teaching methodology is changed and improved.

Moreover the teachers can still be improved to maintain high standards. If the teachers are improved by training and their teaching methodology improved, I have no doubt that it will go a long way to strengthen legal education. A fortiori the measure we give will be the measure we will receive and or input will be equal to the out put.

Practice of law will be made more lucrative in the country if we fashion our laws and or practice to suit our circumstance(s). For example what is this De novo proceedings during in our practice system?

Secondly, Court orders must be obeyed by all even the mighty. When Court order(s) are not obeyed or obeyed tactically it leads to an organized disenchantment with the whole judicial process and this will make the practice of law less lucrative.

Thirdly, we have to revisit our Evidence Act to see how we can take care of the recent technological improvement in the way documents are made and or gotten. This is very important since it will change the course of legal practice and make it more lucrative.

Fourth, I want to think that a lot of lawyers don’t give their best because of lack of tutelage/know how. I suggest that tutelage of not less five years be re-established. You can see that lawyers worth their onions are fast getting old without imparting their stuff. You see young lawyers opening offices here and there without the stuff/know how. How can they make it except by chance or luck.

Finally, law firm partnership has to be encouraged and developed this will equally make legal practice more lucrative.

Your opponents in this race look so formidable do you really think you can win this race?
In the first place, I believe power and other things, come from God, who created the heavens and earth. Accordingly if it is His wish I will surely win. Moreover, I make bold to say that though my opponents look formidable, Barth Okoye Aniche is more formidable and because of my antecedents and experience I hope to win this race. You know one thing about our members, as you are serving them or relating with them, they are watching you. I have served and still serving the members know me and will vote for me because I want to believe that members will only vote for the person they know and or for the person introduced to them by those who know. I will win this race by the grace of God. You will see.
Thank you.

NKECHI OGBONNA NWANNUNU ESQ

WHO IS IKECHI OGBONNA NWANNUNU?

I was born on 5th July 1967 at Umuacha Village, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia State of Ngwa (Igbo) parents.
I attended Umuacha/Amuzu Central School, Umuacha, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, Abia State and obtained my First School Leaving Certificate at Credit level.

I then proceeded to the Grammar School, Nbawsi, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State and obtained the West African School Certificate in 1983. Because that result was delayed, I enrolled at St. Ephraim’s Secondary School, Owerrinta, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, Abia State and obtained another West African School Certificate in 1984. I then proceeded to Ngwa High School, Abayi, Aba, Abia State where I obtained the West African Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1986.
I then gained admission into the University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State and obtained an LL.B. (Hons) degree in 1991 which qualified me to be admitted to the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos. I was called to the Nigerian Bar on December 16, 1992 and was duly enrolled at the Supreme Court the next day. I did my National Service (NYSC) at Guyuk LGA and U.J. Yohanna & Associates, Mubi Road, Yola, Adamawa State and passed out in October 1993.
I then joined the law firm of Chief C.O.C. Izima & Co., Aba in 1993 and later established Ogbonna Nwannunu & Co., Aba in 1998. I am now a principal Partner in the law firm of Agomuo, Nwannunu, Nwannunu & Co., 15, Asa Road, Aba, Abia State. Between 1999 and 2003, I was legislative aide at the senate of the National Assembly, Abuja.
I am a Christian, a Knight of St Christopher in the Anglican Communion and the pioneer Registrar of the Anglican Diocese of Isiala Ngwa South. I am currently the Charter President of Aba Metropolitan Lions Club, the Assistant State Scout Commissioner for Abia State and the President General of The Elite Movement, a pan-Ngwa socio-cultural organization in Aba.

WHAT ARE YOUR ANTECEDENTS IN THE NBA?
I joined the NBA, Aba branch immediately I started law practice in Aba in 1993. I was later appointed to several committees over the years including Law Week and Dinner Planning Committees, Human Rights committee, Disciplinary Appeal Rules Committee and Judiciary Monitoring Committee to mention but a few.
Upon the establishment of Isiala Ngwa Branch, I joined the young branch and became a pillar in its development. I served in the Byelaw Drafting Committee and later as the secretary of the Branch Transition Committee. I later became Branch Secretary and later Branch Chairman a position I relinquished after the most memorable and democratic election in the history of the branch. I am currently the Branch NEC Representative. During my tenure as chairman, the population of the branch grew to what it is today and our Temporary Bar Centre was established at Nbawsi. My administrative and communication skills and innovations brought the branch to limelight at both state and national levels.

DO YOU AGREE THAT THE POST OF PUBLICITY SECRETARY IS LARGELY DECORATIVE IN NBA?
A million times NO! I do not agree! The NBA Constitution is clear on the position of the NBA Publicity Secretary. He is to, inter alia, ensure adequate and prompt publicity of NBA activities, present a good and progressive image of NBA to the public and issue statements and releases on sundry matters of general public and professional interest.
To my mind, the issue of interpretation may have been the bane of the NBA Publicity Portfolio over the years. The Publicity Portfolio means much more than passing microphones at NEC meetings! Rather than being ornamental, I see the position as very daunting and challenging if the occupier must perform well and in accordance with the constitutional provisions. How does the Publicity Secretary present a good and progressive image of NBA if he does not actively manage the information machinery of the organization? Any material going out to the public from NBA is a serious concern for the Publicity Secretary. It is his job also to manage reactions to such information from the public. Same goes for internal information.
I see the position of the Publicity Secretary as a multi-facetted one in that he manages both internal and external information of NBA as he must publicize the activities of NBA to both members and the public. My vision is to interpret the functions as tailored towards the best good for the members as well as the best-synthesized information about the Bar to the public. For instance, our plan of using the NBA website as our primary organ of publicity and information management and dissemination may sound revolutionary but it is actually easy, practicable and cheaply achievable. If we post all the raw judgments and decisions of our superior courts on our website, imagine what that will achieve. Regular law reports still remain relevant and essential as they ease and fasten legal research and their editorial inputs are invaluable. If we make our database of Nigerian lawyers NBA Branches-driven and have only the duly registered and licensed lawyers posted on the website, imagine what that would achieve for both the NBA and the global public.
Following events and matters as they unfold and issuing constructive and well-considered statements and releases on them cannot be seen as a mean vocation. Do you know that ideally speaking, the Publicity Secretary must be part of anything the President of NBA has to release to the public at any point in time? The President, as a major spokesperson of NBA, issues the policy thrusts and statements (the hard news) while the Publicity Secretary as the spokesperson and image maker distils these into analytic details and analysis (the news analysis). The Publicity Secretary will make the difference between the news and the features of any NBA activity, issue or matter.
So, the position could never correctly be described as decorative.

CAN YOU EXPATIATE HERE ON YOUR KEY PROGRAMMES FOR THE NBA?
Our main programme is to bring the NBA Publicity Portfolio to the correct digital pedestal that today’s practice at the bar demands and requires. The out-going administration did well to re-brand the NBA and elevate her practices to a level that a measure of global best practices seem to be employed. The Secretariat has been overhauled but the publicity office seems to be in the woods as to how best to cope and keep up with the changes. The President has been functioning as both President and Information/Foreign Minister. We intend to change this and effectively manage the information and publicity table to support a modern re-branded NBA and give the President the support he needs in thinking out cogent solutions to the myriad problems of the Nigerian lawyer and society by promoting the rule of law in its entire ramification. Thank God that the man returned already as the Assistant Publicity Secretary is a tested and proven hand in journalism and journalistic management.
We intend to redesign and/or update the NBA website to reflect today’s realities on the global web as it relates to professional organizations such as ours in line with our mission statement. I must note that there is some recent improvement in this area but a lot still needs to be done. Along this line, we intend to galvanize the expansion of the Computerize Nigeria Project in the legal sector to ensure that every serious legal practitioner can acquire an internet-enabled computer terminal for his use with the consent and authority of our ebullient president who is very ardent about these developments.
We also intend to make the judgment depository already established by the outgoing administration relevant to lawyers by posting the judgments on a section of the NBA website designed for it. This will ensure promptness in the information of lawyers concerning new trends and directions as enunciated by our superior courts of record. I believe this would serve practitioners well and increase their appetite for law reports where such judgments may be dissected with very piquant editorial embellishments and innovations that will sharpen our skills and widen our horizon. Since the judgments of courts are public documents, the service we need perform here is to bring them to your law office without suffering you a trip to the relevant registry.
We also intend to update the database of Nigerian Lawyers making it more relevant to today by making it NBA Branches-driven. What this means is that only those who are duly registered in NBA branches as cleared by such branches will make it to the database of Nigerian lawyers every year. This definitely will assist the branches grow and monitor their membership in a closer fashion while eliminating the situation where you have the name of more dead lawyers than living lawyers on the database. With the take-off of the Practice License regime, this should be dynamic and routine..
There are so many things to be done and we hope to accomplish as much as possible especially given the progressive disposition of the incoming president.

IN YOUR VIEW HOW CAN LEGAL EDUCATION BE STRENGTHENED AND LAW PRACTICE MADE MORE LUCRATIVE?
I believe legal education can be strengthened if it is made more prosaic and forensic in nature. By this, I mean that the study of the law should be made less classical or poetic if you like, and made more simplified with the everyday language of a modern Nigerian. To this end, a degree should be made the minimum qualification for the entry point to study the course. The curriculum and course content should be more practical and reality-oriented rather than outright academic in nature. I believe that this way, the budding lawyer realizes early in his study how deep and serious the course is and ideally throws himself into it.
With better education and the mandatory continuing legal education for lawyers already in place, practitioners are bound to gravitate towards specialization and build more and better capacity thus making practice more manageable and lucrative. With a stronger regulation of members by NBA branches, sharp and fraudulent practices are bound to be minimized and quackery checked. A closer implementation and monitoring of practice in such areas as estate agency and land instrument preparation and registration may also ensure and enhance lawyers’ earnings. Most importantly, a sincere adherence to the rule of law by all concerned will no doubt restore public confidence in the legal process and conflict resolution procedures that will enhance lawyers’ earnings considerably.

CONSIDERING THE FORMIDABILITY OF YOUR OPPONENTS, CAN YOU WIN THIS RACE?
Yes, I have all it takes to win the race. I believe that my opponents are eminently formidable in their own rights, but as Shakespeare would say, good reasons will always give way to better. I am the only candidate that has taken time to study the requirements and challenges of the NBA Publicity Portfolio and articulated programmes that will enhance the running of the NBA in today’s world with a robust information and publicity apparatus. I have been involved in information management both at the University and outside of it including at the Senate of the National Assembly of Nigeria. Information management is important and we must not subject Akeredolu, SAN to what Agbakoba, SAN went through as both president and publicity secretary in one bundle. We must grow and for that growth to be meaningful and even phenomenal, the publicity portfolio must be knowledgeable and robust. I am the candidate with that poise and promise and lawyers, being discerning learned individuals, I have no doubt in my mind that they will go for the best quality at the polls. There lies my assurance.
Thank you for this opportunity.

MURITALA OLADIMEJI ABDUL RASHEED ESQ

My name is Murtala Oladimeji Abdul-Rasheed. I was born on the 8th day of April 1965 at Akure, Ondo State. My parents are indigenes of Ilesa in Osun State.

I attended L.A primary school Oda-Akure for my elementary education and proceeded to Ansar-Ud-Deen Grammar School Ikare-Akoko where I passed out in 1981.

I had a brief stint with the Oyo and now Osun State College of Education as clerical officer before I enrolled in the same institution for my NCE programme in 1983. In 1986, I got admission to read Mass Comm. with the Polythecnic Ibadan.

I worked as Government House Correspondent of the verdict Newspaper at Agodi-Ibadan from 1987 to 1990. I left the practice for journalism to read law in 1991 when I got admission to read Islamic and Common law(Combined Hons.) at Usmanu Danfodio University sokoto.

In 1997, proceeded to the Nigerianlaw school and was called to the Bar on 26th February 1998.

I started practice in Kaduna with Yunus Ustaz Usman & Co.

I am a presently with Dele Oloje & Co. where I am a partner.

I got married in 2001. We are blessed with 3 kids. My family lives in Dublin Republic of Ireland.

I am a member of the International Bar Association. I have been an activist all my life, in primary school, I was Assistant Senior Boy, Secondary school, I was a social prefect, In the University, I was the first student of Southern Nigerian Extraction to contest for the Presidency of the students' Union. I won the election but it was annulled due to violence that greeted the results.

At the law school, I was a member of the students Representative Council. At the Bar, I have held various committee in my branch. I was also the Asst. Sec, 2004-2006. I am the incumbent National Assistant Publicity Secretary of the NBA. I was returned unopposed in Port Harcourt 2006.

At the International level. I have attended five conferences on various aspects of the law in Dublin and United Kingdom.

ADEKUNLE OJO ESQ

Squib: Who is Adekunle Ojo?
Ojo: My name is Adekunle Ojo. I was born in 1964 to the family of Chief Thomas Ojo of Aramoko Ekiti State. I am an aspirant for the position of the 2nd Vice President of NBA.
I am a man of several parts. I have served notary club as President in 1998-1999, which makes me grounded in service to mankind and the community. I am a public spirited person and a passionate defender of the people.
I am currently serving as a member of the governing council of the Office of the Public Defender of Lagos State, the first of its kind in the whole of Africa. I was for some years the President and Leader of the Progressive Bar Forum Ikeja. I equally have the privilege of serving in several positions of responsibility at the National body of the NBA and Ikeja Branch of the NBA.
At the National body, I have served as a member of the Human Rights Committee, Endowment Fund Committee, NBA Judiciary Committee, Vice Chairman Business Crime Committee of the NBA section on Legal Practice, Alternate Secretary of the NBA committee on falling standard of Legal Practice in Nigeria.
And at the Ikeja bar, I have served in all statutory and adhoc committees of the Bar. Under my watch as the chairman of the NBA Ikeja branch (2004-2006) I initiated the Gani Fawehinmi Annual lectures, and the Late Alao Aka Bashorun Annual lectures. I also laid the foundation of the Rotimi Williams Bar center for the Ikeja Branch
It will interest you to know that the most vibrant branch of the NBA actually became “Tiger Bar” under my administration and I became the “Elekun of Ekun” “Oba Adekunle Ojo 1”
Oh, I was actually called to the Bar in 1990. I am married with three kids. I am a Christian, I attended C.A.C Grammar School Efon-Alaye and proceeded to Ahmadiya College Agege Lagos for my ‘A’ level where I emerged the best student in Economics. I equally attended Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where I won the Ajose Adeogun prize for the Best student in Criminal Law.

Squib: What are your credentials at the Bar?
Ojo: I have been involved in the affairs of the Bar since 1990 when I was called as a young lawyer. I have always participated in every activity at the Bar. We were together in Owerri, we were together in Port-Harcourt when the NBA had our crisis and in the post-crisis era, I have been a factor in the Bar affairs.
I have been in the NEC for years now and on issues, whether local, national or international. I remain one of the voices of progress within the bar and in Nigeria as a whole. As a Bar man I have always brought to bear my background and experience of committed progressive activism and accessibility.
There are certain things that mark me out as a focused Bar man; Fairness, unwavering commitment to duty, firmness, outstanding courage, milk of mercy and unparalleled passion for the welfare of my colleagues.
I can never close my eyes to a colleague in distress and I have never looked the other way while a colleague suffered. I waged many successful wars against judicial terrorism, menace of charlatanism, police impunity and lawlessness and executive abrasiveness.
In all my dealings as a Bar man, I have always displayed forthrightness, humility, astuteness and I “say it as it is” no corners, no begging the question.

Squib: Why are you in the race to become the NBA 2nd Vice President and why now?
Ojo: Great! Two years ago, I ran for this same office, though I did not emerge victorious but you remember very well, while others who lost disappeared, brooding over a temporary set back what I consider a situation report” I said one thing then and I know it for sure that perhaps it was not my time in the reckoning of God and in the estimation of the electorate, though it was a narrow miss.
Let me remind you of my exact words in that occassion and I will wish it be repeated, “Do not let anyone be sorrowful for us. In the case of life, sometimes you win and sometimes you loose, but the truly committed, the truly patriotic never lose out. Our time will come. The sun will still shine. Even now, the dark clouds are already passing away. I restate my commitment to NBA service and shall be available to serve”.
These were my exact words on the first day of September 2006 at the swearing in of the outgoing executives. Now!!! I have remained committed, I have remained patriotic, the Sun is shining, it is now my time.
I know that this office is a charge of the welfare committee of the Bar. I am a welfarist by nature. I have an extra-ordinary compassion for this profession and my colleagues. I can stake all that I have to ensure that no lawyer is ever ridiculed, that no lawyer is ever dehumanized and that no lawyer remains downtrodden.
I am going to work sincerely for the actualisation of the yearnings of our members. Come to think of it, every association exists for the welfare of its members. I am already trained and tutored to serve without counting cost, returns, pains.
I have equally come to an understanding that the way NBA is structed, it envisages a president and other zonal presidents called the vice presidents. The ineptitude of any of these zonal presidents has always led the generality of our members in castigating the president and the secretary. Honestly, where a vice-president is alive to his responsibilities as I will be, a commendable impact, relevance and strong connection will be ensured between the national body and the branches.
And above all, the Bar needs a strong mind, a man of opinion who will not quake at the sight of a demagogue.

Squib: There are claims that the Ikeja Bar, which you once led as chairman is noted for undue radicalism (For which it is known as the Tiger Branch) and that if you are elected, you will bring in to the NBA national leadership this controversial tendency.
Ojo: Thank you! We are Tigers at the Ikeja Branch, but we do not eat people. We are known for pitching our tent with the people and the progressives.
As a branch, we live and exist for the betterment of the society and we will continue to do this since it brings smiles and laughter to the lips of Nigerians. When elected, I can not be docile, I have a tradition of vibrancy, I have a tradition of progressivism, I can not change. I can not change from these good virtues, but I will not be cantankerous or pugnacious and I will not be an irritant in the executive

Squib: What role will you like the NBA to play in the socio-political life of Nigeria between 2008-2010?
Ojo: The NBA in my humble opinion is the most important professional association in Nigeria. Our views and positions on issues of national importance sharpens the thinking, the direction, policies of government and the perception of the good people of Nigeria.
In the present democratic dispensation, the NBA cannot afford to take a back sit in the affairs of the country. The people of this country are still looking up to the NBA for authentic, political, economic, social and cultural emanticipation.
The NBA, of which I am part of, will by God’s grace work diligently. And I will wish, as usual, hat the NBA continues to seek panacea in conjunction with the other patriots to the problems plaguing Nigeria.

Squib: Given the formidable credentials of your opponents how do you hope to win?
Ojo: With due respect the four opponents that are viewing against me, I am the most mobile, I am the most accessible, my credentials of performance speak volume in my favour. My opponents have all sat in their different houses, expecting the electorates to look for them, while I went to a great number of our branches to seek their mandates, to know their problems, to know their yearnings and peculiarities. I am in a better position to appreciate our colleagues and the peculiarities of the different branches of the NBA I will appreciate and value them more than any of my opponents because I have been to them.
By God’s grace and the goodwill of members of the Bar, I will win.

Squib: What are your plans of action that will ensure that if you win, you will not be a mere “spare tyre” in the national exco of the NBA?
Ojo: By my very nature, I am not docile, I can not be a mere “spare tyre” and by the constitution of the NBA there are specific assignments to the office of the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd Vice President is like a zonal prefect or a Zonal president who is expected to mobilize and harness the branches for the collective good of our association.
All we need in that post is a person with ability, enough zeal and commitment. I have the zeal, I have the courage, I have the vision and commitment to make a difference and to make an enduring impact as the 2nd vice president

Squib: Last words?
Ojo: Vote for me, I can not fail, I will not fail, I will perform and not merely hold office.
I welcome everybody to the conference. I wish all the delegates a successful stay in Abuja and journey mercy as they go back to their respective branches. Thank you.

THE NBA MUST BE FAITHFUL TO HER CONSTITUTION IN THE CONDUCT OF ELECTION

On Wednesday the 21st May 2008 Barrister Vincent Ike Uko former General Secretary of the NBA Lagos Branch and former assistant publicity secretary of the NBA shared with the Squib his thoughts on the need for the NBA to toe the path of constitutionalism in electing new leaders in the August 2008 general elections of the association.

SQUIB: In brief, who is Ike Uko Esq.?
ANSWER: My name is Vincent Ike Uko. I am married to a lawyer with children. I read English Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, did law at the graduate level at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and got my LLM at the University of Lagos ten years ago.
I was called to the Bar in1993 and became a Notary Public in 2001. I have being active at the bar. I held my first office as assistant secretary of the NBA Lagos Branch under Prince Adeniyi Olateru-Olagbegi (as he then was) as chairman. In 2000, I contested for and was elected the Assistant Publicity Secretary at the national level of the NBA, under the presidency of O.C.J Okocha S.A.N (JP) till 2002. Thereafter, I came back to Lagos branch in 2004 where I held office as Publicity Secretary of the branch. In 2005, I was elected secretary, NBA Lagos. I am an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and a full member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

SQUIB: As a bar man, let’s have your views on the NBA vis-avis the nation.
ANSWER: I must say the NBA in the recent past has risen to the challenge. The NBA’s valued commentaries on national issues of vital importance, for example, issues of the subversion of the constitution are well noted. As a vanguard of democracy, she took it upon herself to advise the presidency on burning national issues particularly at the time of the elections. At the last general elections, the NBA sent out monitors and observers, always insisting on due process which helped the elections a great deal in a way. However, there is still room for improvement, the need to make legal services available to more people beyond the present tokenism. NBA must be seen and indeed be championing the cause of the people. For example the recent fire disaster victims in Ijegun, Lagos State should have had their cause championed by NBA in getting compensations from the parties negligently responsible for the disaster; be it the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Lagos State Government or the contractor(s) working at the site of the disaster.

SQUIB: As you are aware that elections would soon be coming up both locally and nationally in the NBA, how do you want the elections to be held?
ANSWER: First of all, the NBA must hold itself as a model and beckon of hope for other associations. Specifically as lawyers, we must buy President Yar Adua’s rule of law and due process. All the branches that make up the national body must make the forthcoming elections hitch free and peaceful. The branches must follow their bye-laws in conducting their elections. There must be a level playing field for every contestant with the law being the leveler. Also, at the national level, the constitution must be followed as specified in the NBA constitution.

SQUIB: When you say at the national level, what exactly do you mean?
ANSWER: The constitution must be followed as contained in Article 11 of the NBA Constitution “the contestant must be in full time private legal practice.” This excludes those in private companies, lecturers or those who are not in full time legal job. My understanding of the NBA constitution is that it wants to make sure that those who want to serve the NBA will be independent in name and in action. Also, the fellow must have paid his/her practicing fee as at when due i.e. before 31st March of each of the three years preceding the elections. Thirdly, the person must have been qualified as per experience of service in the NBA.
There are two dual qualifications:

(i) for those running for various offices ranging from president, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice Presidents, General Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Secretary, Financial Secretary and Legal Adviser. For contestants into these offices, they are required to have served 2 years (24 months) on the National Executive Committee. This means that the contestants must have held office for 2 years as National officers, being the secretary, chairman, and/or the representative of his branch at the NEC or was co-opted into the NEC by the President. To be a co-opted into the NEC, one must have been at least ten years at the bar. This also means that the only way a person can be a NEC member without being ten years at the bar is by running for any of the Assistant positions or being secretary or chairman of the branch where the branches bye-law permits such people under ten years to hold such offices; otherwise nobody can be on the NEC before his tenth year as a lawyer as provided in Article 9(a)(v) of the NBA Constitution.

(ii) The second category are those running for assistant positions such as 1st Assistant Secretary, Assistant Publicity Secretary, Assistant Financial Secretary, 2nd Assistant Secretary. For people vying for these offices, they are expected to have at least served 2 years on their branch Executives. In essence, the only positions at the branch level considered sufficient to qualify a contestant to vie for a major national office are that of secretary or chairman of a branch. There are some confusion among some of our colleagues who feel that once they hold any branch office, they are automatically qualified for any National office. These differences can be gleaned from Article 11(i), (ii) (a), (b) and (c).

SQUIB: Thank you for your analysis. Do you see the NBA embracing these issues you have pointed out vis-avis the proper qualifications to contest of candidates, considering the fact that many people have always believed that a candidate only needs to hold any office at the branch level before gunning for the national office?
ANSWER: Yes, I vouch for the integrity of the current leadership under Olisa Agbakoba S.A.N. There are some issues that have been omitted by oversight in the past but I think once their attention are drawn to the issues, they are quickly addressed.

SQUIB: If I may ask, do you have any aspiration to contest at the national level.
ANSWER: Yes, I do. By the grace of God and support of my fellow lawyers, I want to run for the post of the next treasurer of the NBA

SQUIB: Why treasurer?
ANSWER: I have served the NBA in various positions both at local and national levels. And I think that the office of the treasurer is critical in any association and should be given the seriousness it deserves. Based on my past experience at the bar, I want to accept the challenge. As treasurer, I will collect money on behalf of the bar and will advise the NBA properly. We have not exploited all the opportunities to make more money for the association. We have to bring all those who are supposed to pay practicing fees into the net. We also need to emphasise fiscal federalism between the national body and her 88 branches. Their share of the funds of the NBA must be given to them promptly and faithfully. There is a very urgent reason to empower the branches. Some branches exist only in name because they do not have the financial muscle to carry on routine activities like organising a law week and running efficient secretariat. The strength of the chain is at this weakest joint. For a truly powerful NBA, the branches must be strengthened. Every year, the NBA raises a lot of money both from practicing fees and donations and these are spent on recurrent expenditures. I expect that by prudent management, NBA can invest some of these surplus money in securities such as government bonds, mutual trust fund etc.
I am not unaware of these projects as build, transfer skills currently going on in Lagos and Abuja. I give kudos to the person that made this happen. However, a plant grows not just on the big showers that come, not just in a while, but on the every day dew that gives the plant its life line. We need short term, mid term and long term investments for the NBA to be strong. This I can do if given the chance.
I think there is need for collaboration for the offices of the treasurer, financial and welfare secretaries. As we make it big for the NBA as a body, we also empower the NBA members. It is painful to see lawyers begging for alms when they need medical attention. The NBA must work out a workable health insurance scheme for her members.

SQUIB: Thank you very much for your views, we wish you the best in your aspiration. What is your view about the screening of candidates, because in the past some were improperly screened out and some illegally screened in?
ANSWER: I read the election guidelines as published at the Markurdi NEC meeting. It’s quite a good working paper but there is room for improvement especially on procedures for appeals. Traditionally, when nomination closes on 30th June, Section 20 (e) provides that there must be a compilation of all nominations received. In practice, the General Secretary invites some bar leaders at his discretion and the candidates and their agents. The nature of the opening of the ballot papers does not give room for proper screening. This has resulted in some unqualified people running for elections in the past against the spirit of the constitution. There is a need to make an improvement so that the screening will accord with the constitution. Any protest and/or discussion of the nomination can only happen at the next NEC meeting which usually comes late July about a month to the general election. There is a need to make this appeal to be more efficient.

THE SECRETARY AND CHAIRMAN ARE CULPABLE - YINKA FAROUNBI ESQ

Squib: There was this letter of yours dated 2nd May 2008 and published in our magazine in vol. 8 no 27 edition May 5 2008 edition, wherein you accused Mr. Beckely Abioye the NBA Ikeja Secretary and Mr. Niyi Idowu the NBA Ikeja chairman of tampering with some financial records of the branch in your care. Can you please throw more light on this issue.

Farounbi: My name is Yinka Farounbi. I have been a practicing lawyer since 1993. I am a member of the Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch and a member of 2006/2008 executive as the financial secretary.
My duties as the financial secretary of the association entail the collection of bar dues, issuing receipts for money collected, collect money pledges and other donations to branch and passing same to the treasurer for onward transmission to the bank.
I delegated an aspect of the collection of bar dues to the bar clerk for ease of collecting. This had to do with my not being at the bar centre the whole of the day.
This end, I bought abut 3 exercise books for the bar clerk (Queen) to record bar dues collected by her and passed on to the treasurer. She dutifully carried this instruction and the treasurer signed on all the occasions he collected money from her.
The treasurer equally delegated the library hand to make the lodgment for him in the bank. There was no noticeable shortage from all the lodgments in the bank as evidenced by the pay-in bank tellers. I will like to state emphatically that it is not right for the Secretary General to ask me of the financial notebooks of the association made and kept by me for any year at all. Auditing of accounts as constitutionally laid down should be between the financial secretary, treasurer and auditor. Specifically, it is the auditor that is constitutionally empowered to demand for the financial notebooks from me.
If clarification is needed by the secretary general as to the financial standing of any intending candidate for any post in the elections, such needed information should only be forwarded to me for clarification. That is the standard procedure. Even if the auditor failed/neglected to so act, there is a constitutional provision to cater for it.
It is therefore overreaching and ultra-vires the powers of the secretary general to ask for the production of the financial notebooks from me. On the issue of rendering our account, all the financial officers will render account jointly to the house on 2nd June, 2008.
All the exco members ought to work in unison. The secretary general is the custodian of the register of members. If anybody claims to be a financial member and he is in doubt, he shall consult with me as to eligibility. I made serious allegations of tampering with the financial records against the chairman-Niyi Idowu and secretary general-Beckley Abioye. They took the financial notebooks forcefully from the bar clerk (Queen) for well over 6 months. The chairman handed over the receipt stubs and financial books to the secretary general on 27/04/2008 and then asked me to liaise with him (the secretary) by handing over the other financial records with me to the secretary. I refused because the chairman was wrong and I insisted that it was the secretary who must give back the records with him to me. The secretary eventually did.
On closer examination of the financial books surrendered by the secretary, I realised that some names have been smuggled into the financial notebooks. For example on page 12 of the financial note book of year 2006, precisely payment made on 9/10/2006 showed that the name of one Abiola Oketoki was smuggled into a space. She was alleged to have paid N1,000 which was neither paid to me nor to the bar clerk.
On page 16, payment made on 14/12/2006, Omodara Samson was smuggled into the records. He was alleged to have paid N1,000:00. In the original of which I made photocopies of and kept, it was only Odum Ekene that made payment on that day.
On page 18, payment made on 12/01/2007, the name of one Charles Biyi Oguntuga was smuggled into the list of those who paid. However, this name was not in the list before the chairman took the financial books from the bar clerk. These are the names I have discovered so far.
Curiously, these names are names of certain contestants in the forthcoming elections for one post or the other. I am still clarifying the position of the lodgments during this period and will be in a better position to show all the discrepancies when the statement of account is obtained by the treasurer.