A faction of the NBA has emerged following the saga with Nasiru El-Rufai with the name, New Nigerian Bar Association (NNBA), has emerged from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The announcement of the new body was shared today in a statement was signed by two northern lawyers who are the Conveners, Nuhu Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Suleiman
In its statement termed NBA “peddling of sectional interests,” the group noted that the recent rumblings from the body are leaving much to be desired within the ranks of concerned lawyers especially from Northern part of the country.
“What has been happening recently has exposed the inability of the NBA to manage and contain the heterogeneity of its members as well as their various interests. Its penal powers has been deployed discriminatively on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism.”
“As a body of lawyers who have undergone training towards ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights and liberties, the NBA is supposed to live above sentiments, regionalism and discrimination on any basis and of any kind. Therefore, the NBA cannot afford to be seen not to be upholding the rights and freedom of its own members if at all, it should be seen to be practising what it preaches. As the Hausa saying goes: Idan Kura tana maganin zaho, ta yi ma kanta (If Hyena has cure for diarrhea, let her use it for herself).”
“We all looked forward to joining with high hopes before being called to the Nigerian Bar, forcing idiosyncrasies of few on the majority of its members especially in recent times. “No wonder, NBA NEC, which is the highest decision-making organ of the association failed to uphold the fundamental principles of fair hearing which in itself, is the fundamental aspect of rule of law, on the allegations against the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai as were contained in a petition by Chidi Odinkalu a long-time foe of His Excellency and a lawyer of eastern extraction, but the NBA failed to extend the same treatment to southern invitees who were also petitioned and are also alleged to have committed similar or more human rights abuses than those alleged against Mallam el-Rufai.”
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