Good morning Gentlemen,
We are lawyers & should reason as such. In the Rules of our noble profession, a breach by a lawyer of an agreement with a colleague, whether such agreement is written, oral or by tacit understanding, is frowned at as a professional misconduct. Now, from the time of the revival of the NBA after the 1992 Port Harcourt debacle, the zoning formula of NBA Presidency was worked out & agreed upon. This was aimed at ensuring a smooth sharing of power so as to ensure that the federal character of the country is accommodated and every ethnic section will have opportunity to test that post. That formula has worked seamlessly, until the last rather rascally disruption of same by Paul Usoro. Now, the last time it was the turn of the West to produce a President, the Mid-West section that was merged with the South West, produced the President in the person of Austin Alege. This is the next turn of the West. Would it be right for yet another Mid-West section candidate to rear his head, without respecting the UNDERSTANDING that his brothers from the South West should take a bite this time around? My answer, Gentlemen, is in the NEGATIVE. It is not right. The Mid-West forum is morally estopped from fielding another candidate, having had the very last bite.
Now, this goes beyond the simple respect or disrespect of gentleman’s agreement. This brings up the issue of the moral character/rectitude of an aspirant & whether such aspirant is worthy of the trust of the generality of Nigerian lawyers with their Apex Post of President of NBA. If I may ask: What is the likely character makeup of a person that would, for selfish gain, wantonly overthrow an equitable gentleman’s agreement/understanding? How well or how far can you trust a person who would easily relegate a fair-sharing formula & grab for a position he knows should go to another section he does not come from? Is such a person going there to serve the people? These, My Noble Gentlemen, are the reasons why we must educate the generality of lawyers to advise Mr. Olumide Akpata to respect fairness in the zoning formula by respectfully excusing himself from the contest for the presidency of the NBA this time around. THE FAIR-SHARING PRINCIPLES OF THE ZONING FORMULA ALLOCATES THIS NEXT PRESIDENCY OF THE NBA TO THE SOUTH WEST. Our colleagues in the Mid-West should be bold enough to withdraw Mr. Akpata’s candidacy.
Having said that, the only candidate of TESTED Character, Ability, Vast & Indept Knowledge of what the NBA stands for as well as the PROPER VALUES of the legal profession, well enough to be trusted with the Apex Post of President of the NBA, is none other than DEACON DELE ADESINA, SAN. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that he is elected to re-establish the VALUES & IDEALS that will re-establish the nobility of the legal profession.
Sorry about the lengthy post, Gentlemen.
My warmest regards to you all.
Chidi B. Nworka, Esq.
