New NBA Faction Writes AGF Malami

The New Nigeria Bar Association (NNBA) have written to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, to inform him of their existence.

Naija News reports that some lawyers of like minds had decided to form a new association following alleged peddling of sectional interest by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

This was made known in a statement signed by Nuhu Ibrahim, Esq and Abdulbasit Suleiman, Esq, and made available to journalists on Friday.

They said the recent rumblings from the NBA was leaving much to be desired within the ranks of Concerned Lawyers especially from the Northern part of the Country.

The statement reads in part, “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.

“It’s penal powers have 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 diarrhoea let her use it for herself).

“The New Nigerian Bar Association have been watching the activities of the NBA, an association 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.”

The decision to form a new association has been met with mixed reactions from various section of Nigerians.

The New NBA had on August 28 in a letter signed by Ibrahim as Convener 1 and Suleiman as Convener 2. informed AGF Malami of their decision.

The letter reads: “We are pleased to inform you of the formation of a new Association of Lawyers as above captioned.

“The formation of the new Association has become imperative and expedient especially flowing from the activities, disposition and most recently, the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association-NEC (National Executive Committee) which apparently failed to take into consideration our national interests and particularly do not promote the unity of our indissoluble country, Nigeria.

“Sir, the New Nigerian Bar Association believes in the ideals that bounds (sic) our country together as echoed in our National Anthem: ‘The Labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.’

“You are, however, to be further informed that work is in progress with regards to all the nitty-gritty of the formation of an Association such as this to which we shall keep you updated.”