NIGERIAN
BAR ASSOCIATION
NOTICE
OF EXTRA-ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION
DATE:
TUESDAY 26TH FEB., 2019
VENUE:
SHERATON ABUJA
BROUGHT
PURSUANT TO SS 2.3(i) AND 10(4)&(7) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIAN BAR
ASSOCIATION, 2015
WHEREAS:-
1.
On Monday 20th August
2018, Mr Paul Usoro SAN was declared President of the Nigerian Bar Association
by the Election Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, ECNBA against other cleared
presidential candidates.
2. Controversies
trailed the e-voting processes, which led the NBA President at the time A B
Mahmoud SAN to appoint, with the approval of the National Executive Committee
(NEC) NBA and AGC in August, 2018, the firm of KPMG to carry out forensic examinations.
Mr Paul Usoro SAN stultified the work of KPMG.
3. Prior
to his inauguration as NBA President on 30th August 2018, the other
Presidential candidates complained against Mr Paul Usoro SAN and one of the
candidates actually petitioned the EFCC. Whereat EFCC obtained useful statements
from witnesses.
4. NEC-NBA
on Sunday 26th August 2018, resolved that the said Mr Paul Usoro’s
inauguration and other National officers would nonetheless hold as scheduled at
the Annual General Conference of NBA in Abuja even though the AGC was unsatisfactorily
organized by Mr George Etomi and Mrs Mfon Usoro the TCCP Chair and
sub-committee Chair of Logistics respectively, to the extent that the first National
Executive Committee of the NBA on 6th Dec., 2018 totally condemned
the organizers of 2018 NBA AGC inspite of Usoro presiding, held never again
will conference organizers collect fees and not deliver the goods and services promised
at the time of registration to our Dear NBA members.
5. One
of the Presidential candidates, Arthur Obi Okafor SAN approached the FCT High
Court Abuja to seek inter alia
verification of the contested election results and the matter was referred by
the presiding Judge for arbitration/mediation to be commenced and concluded
within sixty (60) days from Monday 26th Nov., 2018. The sixty (60)
days lapsed and again no successful mediation was attempted and achieved.
6. On
Monday 10th December 2018, EFCC arraigned the said Mr Paul Usoro SAN
on a ten count charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and
corruption before the Hon. Justice Hassan of the Federal High Court Lagos who
granted the Defendant Bail in the sum of N250Million and one surety and
adjourned to 5th Feb., 2019 for trial in N0. FHC/L/418C/2018 F.R.N -vs- Paul Usoro SAN for receiving the sum of One Billion,
Four Hundred Million Naira in suspicious transactions.
7. By
Letter under his hand, the accused person or defendant as referred by ACJA
2015, Paul Usoro wrote to the Hon. Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for
transfer or reassignment of his criminal matter. Despite that Hon. Justice
Hassan was a very fair minded Presiding Judge who had ensured the accused
person was not held in EFCC cell or police custody pending perfection of his
Bail terms and had treated the accused with utmost courtesy and fairness, showing
no form of bias at all to any of the parties.
8. Whereupon
in Jan., 2019, His Lordship the Hon Justice Kafarati C.J reassigned and or
transferred the said Charge Number FHC/L/418C/2018
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA –vs- PAUL USORO SAN to Hon. Justice Professor
Obiozor who then when the matter came up on 5th February 2019 adjourned
and thereafter outrightly declined it
and returned the case file to the Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High
Court citing “personal interest.” The accused would appear forum shopping.
9. Mr.
Paul Usoro SAN yet preposterously holds on to the exalted office of President even
as confidence waned in the miasmic situation members were awkwardly in, as a result of Usoro’s refusal to resign the
office to enamour respect for the exalted and esteemed office of the learned, noble
and honourable profession.
10.EFCC having filed court
processes indicting the Mr Paul Usoro
SAN on account of money laundering activities etc Mr Usoro will exit forthwith the
prestigious seat of President of Africa’s largest bar forum to face his pending
criminal trial(s).
TAKE
NOTICE that sequel to Article 2.3 of NBA Constitution
2015, the occupant of the office of President of NBA would be removed from
office upon reasonable cause shown such as since 10th Dec., 2018
when Mr Paul Usoro SAN in the dock for some grievous charges.
N:B
By virtue of
Article 10(7) of the NBA Constitution, 2015 a minimum of 100 members of NBA
from 1/3rd of the Branches are required to sign. Signatories will state Names, SC enrollment Numbers, Branches, Telephone
Numbers and email addresses. Manual signatures are permitted. Signatories not
restricted to Branch or National Officers past and serving or of any office. Our NBA members eligible to sign. We have more
than the required number to Go!.
AGENDA:-
Pursuance of Article
10(4) of the NBA Constitution which stipulates that the EGM must set out its agenda
for all to view, thus:
1. Resolution
Removing Mr Paul Usoro SAN from the office of President of NBA.
2. Resolution
Replacing the removed President Paul Usoro SAN and Election of a New President
of NBA from the published presidential candidates, Two Solid Names.
3. Resolutions
nullifying nominees of Mr Paul Usoro including his TCCP list considering he
re-appointed some names condemned by NEC NBA at its meeting on the 6th
December, 2018 as Lawyers incapable of serving NBA and others with antecedents of
zero public interest work.
4. Resolution
nullifying Mr Usoro’s double taxation decision of compelling NBA members to pay
for NBA Stamp in addition to payment of Bar practicing fees rather than issuing
the stamps considering the generality of NBA members do not get reliefs for
subscription. Meaning NBA under Usoro collects money and delivers no service to
members.
5. Resolution
for the new TCCP to be appointed by the new President to organize state of the
art conference for lawyers in a wi-fi environment with access to clean bottled
water, at least tea/coffee break, healthy
Nigerian and Continental buffet lunch. Quality conference bags containing the
NBA Financial report and writing materials at the time of registration. Plus iphones(Tablets)
bearing in mind bulk purchase reduces cost.
6. Resolution
restraining the new TCCP from modelling on 2018 TCCP that collected huge conference
fees from 11,000 plus lawyers for iPhones(Tablets) but refused to deliver
iPhone.
7. Resolution
restraining the new TCCP from paying out money to TCCP members as witnessed in
the announcement made by Mr Paul Usoro in January 2019 when he constituted the TCCP.
New TCCP should learn to reduce running costs by planning meetings in “GoToMeeting”
online or by forming Whatsapp forum for its members only or by holding telephone
meetings via Skype. Usoro’s TCCP is surprisingly analogue, also Usoros
announced that he will put our hard earned fees to pay air tickets etc for his TCCP
members. The new TCCP should be frugal and efficient.
THE NEMO JUDEX IN
CAUSA SUA RULE:
Usoro SAN cannot
preside because of the golden rule that he cannot be a Judge in his own cause.
GUIDE
AS TO WHO PRESIDES AT EGM:
1.
THE 1ST VICE PRESIDENT IS
TO PRESIDE; IN HIS ABSENCE
2.
THE 2ND VICE PRESIDENT OF
NBA TO PRESIDE; IN HER ABSENCE
3.
THE 3RD VICE PRESIDENT OF
NBA TO PRESIDE; IN HIS ABSENCE
4. THE
MOST SENIOR MEMBER FROM THE RANK AND FILE OF PAST NBA PRESIDENTS IN ORDER OF
SENIORITY; AND IN THEIR ABSENCE
5.
THE MOST SENIOR LAWYER PRESENT AND
ABLE TO PRESIDE.
CONSEQUENCES
OF REMOVAL FROM OFFICE:
Attempts however feeble
by Mr Paul Usoro to continue to exercise the duties and functions of the office
of NBA President after his removal and replacement, would amount to
impersonation of the NBA office which is also a prosecutable act.
SERVICE
ON the
National Secretariat as required by NBA rules at:- NBA
HOUSE, ABUJA
Dated This Tuesday the 19th February, 2019
SIGNATURE
PAGE
Name |SC Number|
Branch|
GSM |Email |Signature
NOTICE Prepared by:-Carol Ajie, LL.M (Intl Legal Studies) Georgetown
