Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The controversy trailing the annual general meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) continued rages as the Dutse branch of the association in Jigawa State has asked the National Executive Committee of the NBA to re-invite Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, to the Annual General Conference of the association.
The branch has specifically threathened to boycott the conference if el-Rufai is not re-invited.
The NBA has scheduled to hold it’s virtual conference between August 24 and August 26, 2020.
The decision of the Jigawa branch of the NBA is contained in a statement by the Chairman of the Dutse branch, Garba Abubakar.
While condemning the decision of the NBA to exclude el-Rufai from the conference, the branch said the governor should have been given the right to respond to the allegations levelled against him.
It said it was strange that the NBA could exclude el-Rufai and retain Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who has also been accused of several human rights infractions.
The branch said it would not allow a section of the country to take the organisation for a ride as they all had a fair understanding of the law.
statement read in part, “If complaints are to be judged on their face value and without due process, similar treatment is to (be) given to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who has serious allegations of abuse of human rights against him to the extent of demolition (of) residential houses and place of worship without observing due process.
“A section of the country cannot, therefore, take us for a ride as we all have a fair understanding of the law. 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.”
The Nigerian Bar Association on Thursday swithdrew its invitation to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, following protests from some lawyers.
The NBA said this in a tweet on Thursday via its Twitter handle @NigBarAssoc.
The tweet read, “The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association at its ongoing meeting resolves that the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai, by the 2020 Annual General Conference Planning committee be withdrawn and decision communicated to the Governor.