ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Bauchi Branch has urged its national body to reverse its earlier decision of de-inviting the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from speaking during its Annual General Meeting.
They threatened to stay away from the annual conference if its national body does not rescind the decision and apologised to the Association’s members for the “unpopular decision” it took.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that reactions have continued to trail the decision of NBA over withdrawal of an invitation sent to El-Rufai as one of the guest speakers at the August 26, 2020 Annual General Conference of the Bar.
Some lawyers in an online poll and petition to the planning committee of the annual conference insisting that the NBA should de-invite El-Rufai accused him of disregard for the rule of law in Southern Kaduna killings.
The NBA, in bowing to pressure following the petition signed by over 3,000 people, rescinded its decision on August 20th.
The Chairman and Secretary of the NBA in the state, Abubakar Abdulhamid, and Shamsuddeen Magaji respectively, stated these in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Sunday.
They said that the NBA should be seen as promoting the principles of the Rule of Law and attainment of justice to all manner of people irrespective of cultural, tribal, religious or political inclination.
They said in the statement: “As lawyers, we should know the significance of the Constitution which is always binding on all its subscribers, now Section 3(6) of the Nigerian Bar Association Constitution and Bye-law emphasised on maintenance of the highest standard of professional conduct, etiquette and discipline.
“Consequent upon the above, we call on the National Executive Committee (NEC) as well as leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association to immediately rescind its decision and apologise to our teeming members for reaching such unpopular decision which affects the hard-earned image of and integrity of the Nigerian Bar Association as an impartial umpire.
“Furthermore, failure to rescind its decision, the leadership of our noble branch has resolved unanimously and unequivocally to boycott the forthcoming NBA conference scheduled for this 2020.
“We also call on all the members of our branch to comply with the same above. Let us be promoters of rule of law and not to be driven by parochial sentiment.”
Meanwhile, a group of lawyers under aegis of Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience (BOBALAC), also in a reaction, described the decision as “flagrant violation of 36(1) (4) and (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
The Chief Convener of the Group, Jibrin Sa’id Jibrin Esq. said, lawyers should know better and that, the principle of natural justice envisages against any citizen no matter how weighty the allegation(s) may look.
Jibrin said: “We call on the National Executive Committee of the NBA to quickly reverse its decision to withdraw the invitation letter issued to El-Rufai; or withdraw the letters issued to (Former President) Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Nyesom Wike as speakers.”
He said that BOBALAC noted that fair hearing was not accorded to El-Rufai as opposed to the case of the outgoing President of the Bar, Paul Usoro (SAN) who “is currently standing a criminal trial for some alleged offences, but was still allowed to govern the prestigious body under the presumption of innocence as he was elected to lead the Bar in 2018.”
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