The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) expressed concerns during its 1st Quarter NEC Meeting about a letter requesting government funding for the General Council of the Bar (GCB), seeing it as a violation of autonomy. They also called for a probe into the financial management of GCB members for accountability, emphasizing the importance of transparency and independence within the NBA to maintain the integrity of the legal profession in Nigeria.
At the recently concluded 1st Quarter National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting in Jos, Plateau State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) addressed various crucial matters regarding the General Council of the Bar and made significant decisions. One of these decisions concerned a letter sent by representatives of the General Council of the Bar to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), requesting funding from the Federal Government.
Please find below the letter written by the representatives of the General Council of the Bar to the Honourable AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
• NEC unequivocally condemns the letter written and signed by John Aikpokpo Martins and Victor C. Onwumere on behalf of the “Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association to the General Council of the Bar” addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), requesting funding by the Federal Government of the General Council of the Bar (GCB) in similar manner as the Body of Benchers and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), as well as a request that the AGF should not communicate to the members of the Bar in the GCB through the NBA President.
• NEC further resolved that the NBA President should write to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to inform him to discountenance the said letter written by the so-called ‘Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association to the General Council of the Bar’ and notify the AGF of the non-existence of such body.
• The Council further affirms that communications to NBA members in GCB through the office of the NBA president are proper and do not derogate from the membership of NBA representatives in the GCB.
• NEC condemned the assertion in the said letter that the NBA President refused to fund the expenses of NBA Members in GCB because the President referred to the proof of payments made by the NBA to GCB members for the expenses previously incurred by them.
• It directed an investigation into the monies collected by GCB members from the Ministry of Justice without knowing or reporting to the NBA.
The NEC strongly condemned the letter signed by John Aikpokpo Martins and Victor C. Onwumere on behalf of the “Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association to the General Council of the Bar.” They urged the AGF to disregard the letter and informed him that such a body does not exist. The NEC affirmed that communications to NBA members in the GCB through the NBA president’s office are appropriate and do not undermine their membership in the GCB.
The NEC also denounced the claim in the letter that the NBA President refused to cover the expenses of NBA Members in the GCB, citing proof of previous payments made by the NBA. It called for an investigation into funds received by GCB members from the Ministry of Justice without NBA knowledge or reporting.
Following a unanimous vote, the NEC expressed full confidence in the NBA President and assured him and the National Executive Committee of their unwavering support. These resolutions underscore the NBA’s commitment to strengthening the legal profession and its institutions, ensuring professional integrity, upholding the rule of law and justice, and advancing nation-building efforts.
