NBA President Akpata overturns secretary's withdrawal from constitution amendment notice
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has advised lawyers to disregard an alleged email from the association's general secretary, Joyce Oduah, in which she withdrew the notices of proposal from constitutional amendments scheduled for deliberation at the Association's Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The NBA AGM is scheduled for next week in Lagos.
Ms. Oduah, in an email on Friday, informed the attorneys that the AGM notices issued on July 27 had been withdrawn.
She added that these notices were superseded by a new notice which excluded any constitutional amendments as a point of discussion at the AGM.
But against Ms. Oduah on Saturday, NBA President Olumide Akpata issued a warning in a statement on Saturday.
"I am writing to deny this removal as unauthorized by me or any of the National Officers, and to request that you consider the two notices issued on July 27, 2022 by (i) first, Mrs. Oduah; and (ii ) secondly, by the Deputy Secretary General as titular.”
"The NBA secretary acted unilaterally"Mr. Akpata explained that the proposed constitutional amendment became necessary following the decision of the NBA National Executive Council (NBA-NEC) at its last meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The NEC meeting held on June 9 decided that certain amendments be made to the NBA constitution, the statement said.
"Based on this, the NBA Constitution Drafting Committee under the leadership of Asamah Kadiri, SAN has proposed certain amendments for consideration by National Officers and subsequent circulation to all our members for consideration at the next AGM."
He said that the national officers considered the amendments proposed by the Constitution Drafting Committee.
"We have all decided that the proposed changes are in the best interest of the Association and have approved that they be shared with our members with the advice of the AGM where the changes will be discussed."
The outgoing NBA president clarified that "the proposed amendments are intended to institutionalize some of the initiatives of the current administration and to ensure that…the NBA Stabilization Fund is properly safeguarded and protected against the risk of easy dissipation. in the future by any President or National Officer.”
Proposed changesMr. Akpata highlighted the proposed changes to include: "The amount of bar practice fees we pay to Branches for their programs is increased from 10% to 20%, as authorized by a long standing NBA NEC resolution." /p >
Another proposal is that "any member of the Association who has held elected office as a national officer for two (2) terms shall be barred from standing for national office for at least ten (10) years after his last term in office; and (iv) government interference in the affairs of the NBA is constitutionally limited."
He admitted that while some of the proposals might not be acceptable to all members of the association, it was up to the lawyers to decide by vote at the AGM.
Mr. Akpata said that despite "approval of the proposed changes by 10 of the 11 national officers, Ms. Oduah not only delayed posting the required notice until the day before the deadline, but also refused to post a notice. of the AGM which contained all proposed amendments."
He said that no meeting or other deliberation had taken place and that no permission had been given for any of the previously posted notices to be removed or amended, as Ms Oduah attempted to do in his last email.
He said Ms. Oduah was not authorized by the NBA-NEC to issue a notice of withdrawal of the proposed amendments to the association's constitution.
"It is on the basis of the above that I urge you to disregard any takedown and edit notices you may have received at midnight today (Saturday) and to deal with the separate notices issued by both Ms. Oduah and the Deputy Secretary General on July 27, 2022 effective pending AGM decision.
“It is unfortunate that we have had to bring this matter to your attention, but it is important to set the record straight and clarify a subject which I am sure has perplexed you and others, in the past two weeks,” Mr. Akpata wrote.
NBA secretary Ms Oduah defends withdrawal of advisoryThe Secretary General of...
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has advised lawyers to disregard an alleged email from the association's general secretary, Joyce Oduah, in which she withdrew the notices of proposal from constitutional amendments scheduled for deliberation at the Association's Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The NBA AGM is scheduled for next week in Lagos.
Ms. Oduah, in an email on Friday, informed the attorneys that the AGM notices issued on July 27 had been withdrawn.
She added that these notices were superseded by a new notice which excluded any constitutional amendments as a point of discussion at the AGM.
But against Ms. Oduah on Saturday, NBA President Olumide Akpata issued a warning in a statement on Saturday.
"I am writing to deny this removal as unauthorized by me or any of the National Officers, and to request that you consider the two notices issued on July 27, 2022 by (i) first, Mrs. Oduah; and (ii ) secondly, by the Deputy Secretary General as titular.”
"The NBA secretary acted unilaterally"Mr. Akpata explained that the proposed constitutional amendment became necessary following the decision of the NBA National Executive Council (NBA-NEC) at its last meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The NEC meeting held on June 9 decided that certain amendments be made to the NBA constitution, the statement said.
"Based on this, the NBA Constitution Drafting Committee under the leadership of Asamah Kadiri, SAN has proposed certain amendments for consideration by National Officers and subsequent circulation to all our members for consideration at the next AGM."
He said that the national officers considered the amendments proposed by the Constitution Drafting Committee.
"We have all decided that the proposed changes are in the best interest of the Association and have approved that they be shared with our members with the advice of the AGM where the changes will be discussed."
The outgoing NBA president clarified that "the proposed amendments are intended to institutionalize some of the initiatives of the current administration and to ensure that…the NBA Stabilization Fund is properly safeguarded and protected against the risk of easy dissipation. in the future by any President or National Officer.”
Proposed changesMr. Akpata highlighted the proposed changes to include: "The amount of bar practice fees we pay to Branches for their programs is increased from 10% to 20%, as authorized by a long standing NBA NEC resolution." /p >
Another proposal is that "any member of the Association who has held elected office as a national officer for two (2) terms shall be barred from standing for national office for at least ten (10) years after his last term in office; and (iv) government interference in the affairs of the NBA is constitutionally limited."
He admitted that while some of the proposals might not be acceptable to all members of the association, it was up to the lawyers to decide by vote at the AGM.
Mr. Akpata said that despite "approval of the proposed changes by 10 of the 11 national officers, Ms. Oduah not only delayed posting the required notice until the day before the deadline, but also refused to post a notice. of the AGM which contained all proposed amendments."
He said that no meeting or other deliberation had taken place and that no permission had been given for any of the previously posted notices to be removed or amended, as Ms Oduah attempted to do in his last email.
He said Ms. Oduah was not authorized by the NBA-NEC to issue a notice of withdrawal of the proposed amendments to the association's constitution.
"It is on the basis of the above that I urge you to disregard any takedown and edit notices you may have received at midnight today (Saturday) and to deal with the separate notices issued by both Ms. Oduah and the Deputy Secretary General on July 27, 2022 effective pending AGM decision.
“It is unfortunate that we have had to bring this matter to your attention, but it is important to set the record straight and clarify a subject which I am sure has perplexed you and others, in the past two weeks,” Mr. Akpata wrote.
NBA secretary Ms Oduah defends withdrawal of advisoryThe Secretary General of...
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