The Awka Development Union, Abuja branch, has expressed displeasure over acclaimed delay by Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to treat a criminal petition it filed against an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Taiye Ahmed.
The president of the union, Chief Chris Ndibe, expressed the displeasure while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
NAN reports that the union’s petition against submitted to NBA in 2017 is titled: “Petition against Taiye Ahmed for Forgery and Criminal Unauthorised Procurement of Alteration of Records of Awka Development Union, Abuja at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja.”
The petition was accompanied with three witnesses’ affidavit of facts sworn to by Ndibe, Ndubisi Igwebuike and Ejike Nweze at the FCT High Court.
The group had averred that Ahmed was a legal practitioner who practiced in the law firm that belonged to a former president of the union, Mr. Emeka Onyeaka.
It claimed that the group had membership strength of over 250 persons with a mandate to stimulate the development of Awka in Anambra state and ensure the wellbeing of the members.
The union alleged that the respondent, Ahmed, with the instruction of an unknown person or persons took steps to criminally alter the board of trustees of the association at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja.
“That in effect means that the publications were already made before the acclaimed resolution of the association. A careful look at the certified-true-copy from CAC of the purported minutes of the union for the resolution of the general meeting held March 9, 2017, shows that that purported minutes was that of a Church and not the Awka Development Union.
“The purported issuance of the certificate of change of trustees on March 10, 2017 was in clear violation of Section 597 2(b) and 399 of CAMA as it was done 15 days from the date of newspaper publication meant to notify the public for the change and allowing 28 days for any objection,” the petitioners alleged.
Delivering the judgement, Ogunnajo declared that the purported reconstitution of the plaintiff’s trustees and approved by defendant (CAC) without adherence to the due process of law was illegal, unlawful and void.
The judge also made an order nullifying the certificate of re-construction of the plaintiff’s trustees issued by the defendant on March 10, 2017.
“Parties having amicably settled this matter out of court and signed the terms of settlement together with their counsel, I hereby enter the said terms of settlement as consent judgment of this court,” the judge held.
