The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has unanimously suspended from office, the general secretary of the association, Mrs Joyce Oduah.
Nine of the eleven members who signed the resolution authorizing the suspension also resolved to refer Mrs Oduah to the NBA national executive committee for disciplinary action and to recommend her removal from office for gross misconduct.
The document titled, resolution of the meeting of the national executive committee of the Nigerian bar association held on Monday, 15th august 2022, says that following the receipt of a letter dated 14th august from nine national officers of the NBA calling on the president, Olumide Akpata to call an emergency meeting of the NEC, the meeting held at 8am, Monday morning with all national officers of the association present.
The meeting deliberated extensively on the content of the letter and the weighty allegations against the general secretary, Mrs Oduah and in particular her acts of alleged disobedience to the president, the national executive council of the association and the national executive committee.
Owing to the issues to be discussed, the president of the bar was said to have recused himself from the deliberations and handed over to the fist vice president, John Aikpokpo-Martins to chair the meeting.
Ahead of the annual general meeting of the association scheduled to hold at the annual general conference on the 25th of August, the leadership also resolved that the assistant general secretary, Uche Nwadialo shall act as the general secretary pending the pre conference meeting of the NBA-national executive council scheduled to hold on Sunday, the 21st of August.
The issues leading to the suspension of Mrs Oduah began over the weekend when the general secretary sent out a mail to members to withdraw notices of proposed amendment to the constitution of the NBA earlier sent out on the 27th & 28th of july by the general secretary and the assistant general secretary.
In a swift response, the NBA president, Olumide Akpata issued a disclaimer to the effect that the notices sent out by the general secretary was done without any approval and consultation with the national bar leadership and as such, the earlier notices remain valid until a decision is reached at the NBA annual general meeting.
The annual general meeting scheduled to hold during the annual general conference will be the last AGM under the Akpata administration.
NBA – National Officers Internal Memo
NBA – Resolution of Meeting of National Executive Committee Final
