In a bid to actualise his encapsulated agenda as promised in his inaugural address at the just concluded Annual General Conference of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Owerri, Imo state, the Augustine Alegeh-led new leadership of the Bar has hit the ground running. AMEH EJEKWONYILO writes
The NBA President last week inaugurated to committees with the charge on them to bring their wealth of experience to bear on their given assignments. The committees include: The NBA Constitutional Review Committee and the NBA Committee on boards and parastatals.
At his epic inaugural address, Alegeh had pledged to transform the Bar through laudable programmes. In a speech he titled: “Our Agenda for Change”, he said: “There is a need to amend our Constitution to meet present realities and take advantage of modern technological developments.
The cost of NBA National elections to the Association is increasing at an unsustainable rate. The risk, dangers and inconveniences encountered by NBA members during these elections is becoming unbearable. The elections are becoming too expensive for NBA members and voter tampering appears to be encouraged when Delegates at National Elections are not provided with accommodation and other logistic requirements by the Association. The resultant effect is that candidates are compelled to provide accommodation and logistic needs for the Delegates in a manner that may compromise the decision-making process of the candidates.”
Alegeh had said: “The delegate election system of the NBA needs to be reviewed and that E-voting through the NBA Website should be introduced and this would require a constitutional Amendment.”
It is in the light of the foregoing that the new helmsman at the Bar inaugurated the NBA constitution review committee with the mandate to make radical amendments such as the electronic voting system popularly known as e-voting.
This innovation when actualized would address the concerns raised by lawyers that the delegate voting system is fraught with many irregularities as it has been discovered that it breeds corruption as the delegates can be compromised and that it disenfranchises many other members of the Bar from electing who governs them.
This view was corroborated by Alegeh when he said in his inaugural address that: “The risk, dangers and inconveniences encountered by NBA members during these elections is becoming unbearable. The elections are becoming too expensive for NBA members and voter tampering appears to be encouraged when Delegates at National Elections are not provided with accommodation and other logistic requirements by the Association. The resultant effect is that candidates are compelled to provide accommodation and logistic needs for the Delegates in a manner that may compromise the decision-making process of the delegates.”
Some members of the NBA have argued that the best and still the most efficient form of election is an inclusive election where every member of the Bar is allowed to vote.
The committee is chaired by Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN) with Prof. Paul Idornigie as member. Other members includes: Mena Ajakpovi, Esq, Nelson Ogbuanya, Esq, Agada John Elachi, Esq, Seni Adio, Esq, Balikisu Saidu, Mrs. Tessy Eghe-Abe, Nkoyo O. Amah and Chidozie Ogunji, Esq.
Its terms of reference is to review the provisions of NBA Constitution on elections with a view to introducing e-voting at all NBA National Elections.
• “To review the provisions of NBA Constitution on elections and propose such amendments as may be required to make the provisions more definitive and NBA National Elections more rancour free.
• To review the NBA Branches Unified Bye Laws to bring it in conformity with the Amended NBA Constitution.
• To review the Bye Laws of NBA Sections, Fora and Institutes and harmonize same.
• And to review and propose all other such amendments necessary to the provisions of NBA Constitution as the committee deems fit.
The committee is expected to submit its report and recommendation on or before Friday, November 14, 2014. According to the NBA President, “This is to enable us plan for the presentation at our first NEC meeting in November, 2014.”
Speaking shortly after the inauguration of the committee, Dr. Tetengi on behalf of the committee members, thanked the NBA President for considering worthy of the task, and pledged to give their best in delivering the assignment.
In a related vein, the Bar President equally inaugurated the NBA Committee on Boards and Parastatals.
According to Alegeh, “most federal government Boards and Agencies are statutorily mandated to have various stakeholders represented on their Boards. Because of the need to always ensure compliance with the law, rules and regulations, lawyers are always appointed to be members of these Boards and Agencies. Apart from having lawyers on these Boards, certain statutes require the NBA as an institution to send nominees to represent the NBA.”
He, however, decried the non-representation of the Bar on some boards and parastals: “While some of these Agencies are known to NBA as a result of which NBA has been sending representatives, some others are not known or have not been fully utilized.
I note with total dismay that the Boards, Commissions and Parastatals in which NBA is or ought to be represented remains shrouded in secrecy by a few who have turned NBA positions to their personal estates to the detriment of the entire Association. I have decided to set up an Adhoc Committee to look into the matter and present a report on or before the end of October, 2014’’ Alegeh said.
The Members of the Committee shall be: R.A. Lawal Rabana, SAN Chairman, Ibrahim Eddy Mark Esq, Alternate Chairman Monday Ubani Esq, Ezinwa Okoroafor (Mrs.),Malik Aikhuenegbe Esq Secretary.
The terms of reference of the Committee include: to investigate, identify and determine all Boards, Commissions, Agencies and Parastatals in which NBA is entitled to representation as well as to identify any person(s) who are or have represented NBA on any such body and the period of such representation and to explore other avenues and opportunities that will facilitate the representation of the NBA in various Government Boards and Agencies.
The committee has up to 14th of November, 2014 to submit its report.
