Senior lawyers intervene in Ilorin NBA crisis

Sources told our correspondent that senior members of the bar are worried about the crisis which they believe is bad for the image of the branch regarded as one of the flagship bar branches in the country.The internal wrangling on Tuesday, last week, culminated in the impeachment notice served on the chairman, Mr. Mobolaji Ojibara, […]

Sources told our correspondent that senior members of the bar are worried about the crisis which they believe is bad for the image of the branch regarded as one of the flagship bar branches in the country.
The internal wrangling on Tuesday, last week, culminated in the impeachment notice served on the chairman, Mr. Mobolaji Ojibara, by 30 members of the branch, alleging financial misappropriation and abuse of office.
However, a highly placed source in the branch said that the impeachment move does not enjoy the support of over 500 members of the branch; majority of whom, he said, were in support of Ojibara.
Daily Trust reports that the move to audit the accounts of previous executives, following the discovery of over N7million debt in the books generated the crisis rocking the branch.
The immediate past chairman, Mr. Rafiu Balogun, had approached an Ilorin High Court to stop the audit committee, a move which reportedly precipitated his disqualification in the recent national delegates’ conference of NBA. He had aspired to contest the bar’s national legal adviser.
Investigations, however, indicated that elders of the bar led by doyen of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Dr.AliyuAlarape Salman, are working “very hard” to resolve the crisis.
It was gathered that a meeting has been fixed for August 2 by the elders’ committee aimed at thrashing out all the issues “once and for all”.
A similar meeting, our source added, was called in June but that the Balogun group did not attend, neither was a representative sent prompting the elders to fix the new date of August 2.
The source who pleaded anonymity said: “We are hoping and optimistic that the issues would be resolved at the meeting with the cooperation of all parties. But those behind the impeachment notice, like I said, are in the minority. How can 30 members impeach the chairman where we have over 500 members? The issue is all about accountability and transparency.”
The chairman had on Tuesday alleged that the impeachment move was being instigated by Balogun even as he insisted that he was not behind his disqualification at the NBA election.
But speaking with our correspondent yesterday, the former chairman dismissed claims that he was behind the move to impeach the chairman, saying, “it is unfortunate a lawyer could insinuate that. There is no way I can influence anybody.”
Balogun also explained that he and his other former exco members were in court to challenge the audit committee because it was “acting a script”, adding that they suggested the engagement of an independent accountant to carry out the auditing.
He also denied that he shunned the meeting called by the elders last month, saying his vice was in attendance even as he assured that he would attend any meeting called by the elders this time around if he is around.
The Ojibara-led executive was inaugurated after the conduct of the bar’s election.