The General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Adesina Adegbite, has issued a detailed rebuttal to allegations made by the National Treasurer, Caroline Ladidi Anze-Bishop. The Treasurer’s letter, dated 14th July 2024, was initially addressed to the Chairman of Incorporated Trustees of the NBA but has since been widely circulated on social media, causing significant public interest.
The letter accused the General Secretary of “hijacking” her office and excluding her from financial transactions, a claim Adegbite firmly denies. “It is not in my character to engage in public bickering,” Adegbite said, “but the repeated broadcast of the Treasurer’s false misrepresentation on social media which affects my credibility and my office has made my response to the wrong accusations inevitable.”
In his rejoinder, Adegbite highlighted that the NBA Constitution provides for shared financial responsibilities among the President, General Secretary, and Treasurer, specifying that any two of these three officers can sign financial documents. Article 23(2) of the NBA Constitution states, “There shall be three principal signatories to the Association’s account namely; President, General Secretary, and Treasurer, any two of whom may sign.” Further, Article 23(3) grants the President final authority over all electronic and other banking payments, provided they are vetted by either the Treasurer or General Secretary.
Adegbite emphasized that this constitutional framework has been adhered to, with both the General Secretary and the Treasurer recommending financial memos to the President as required. He added that the practice of the General Secretary handling financial memos is longstanding and aimed at reducing the Association’s running costs. “The Treasurer also recommends and has recommended several financial memos to the President in the course of our administration,” he noted.
Addressing the Treasurer’s claims of exclusion, Adegbite pointed out that the Treasurer has had access to all NBA accounts and financial transactions through the online banking platform, Primus. “It is therefore uncharitable for the Treasurer to allege that she does not know anything about the Association’s finances,” he asserted.
Adegbite also responded to the Treasurer’s complaints about office space, revealing that the Treasurer had moved into an office designated for the 1st Vice President, despite repeated demands to vacate. He suggested that the Treasurer’s actions were driven by a failed ambition to become the General Secretary, indicating underlying personal motivations for the allegations.
In conclusion, Adegbite reaffirmed his commitment to serving the NBA with integrity and transparency. “Whatever financial memo I treated in the course of this administration were so treated in accordance with the provision of the NBA Constitution that empowers me to do so,” he stated. He further emphasized that he has not benefited financially from his position and remains dedicated to his oath of office.
