The Jigawa branch of the Nigerian
Bar Association (NBA) says the withdrawal of the invitation extended to Nasir
el-Rufai, Kaduna governor, to speak at the association’s annual conference is
unfair.
The NBA withdrew its invitation
to the governor following a petition by some lawyers under the aegis of Open
Bar Initiative.
The group described the
invitation as a “reward for misrule”, saying the governor represents the very
antithesis of what they profess to defend.
The governor was also accused of
threatening to abduct Gloria Ballason, a lawyer, “because she had criticised
him in a news article” in 2016.
In a statement on Thursday, Garba
Abubakar, chairman of the Jigawa NBA branch, said if the decision to withdraw
the governor’s invitation is not rescinded, they would boycott the annual
conference.
While describing them as
frivolous, Abubakar argued that allegations against the governor had nothing to
do with the national leadership of the association or the NBA at large.
“The Nigerian Bar Association
Dutse Branch disagrees with the position of the national executive committee of
the association held this evening, in its resolve to withdraw the earlier
invitation sent to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the executive governor of Kaduna
state to participate as a guest speaker in the forthcoming annual general
conference of the association scheduled to take place from August 26-29, 2020
based on frivolous allegations,” the chairman said.
“The decision is quite unfair as
the allegation against the governor has nothing to do with the NEC or NBA at
large. Worse still, the governor has not been given the opportunity to defend
himself on the allegations raised against him by a group within the
association, before the resolution of this magnitude was reached against him.
as the Nigerian Bar Association belongs to all.
“The motto of the association is
promoting the ‘Rule of Law’ prudence and justice, therefore, demands that he be
given the opportunity to defend himself before taking any decision that affects
him.
“If complaints are to be judged
on their face value and without due process, similar treatment is to [be] given
to Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike who has serious allegations of abuse of
human rights against him to the extent of the demolition of residential houses
and place of worship without observing due process.
“On the strength of this,
therefore, we call on the national body under President Usoro SAN to reverse
the decision with immediate effect, else, the Nigerian Bar Association Dutse
Branch will boycott the virtual annual general conference taking place in a few
days to come.”
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