Wike Preaches Peace as EBF Adopts Candidates for NBA Elections
Governor of Rivers State, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike at the weekend urged members of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to remain united in order to achieve their objectives and meaningful development for the South East and South South geo-political zones.
Governor Wike stated this while declaring open the quarterly meeting of the EBF in Port Harcourt Rivers State.
He said: “Unity in the EBF is very necessary, from what I have seen in this country, you have no option but to remain united. Even if you are cheated, remain united, because unity is key for you to achieve whatever you want to achieve. Please, whatever you are doing, speak with one voice, whatever it takes, take decisions that will help you, though it may not be comfortable for everybody.
“They speak of colony, well I don’t know what that means, I have not seen it before, we have a lot of environmental problems here, we have pollution, we have no grass here, so if the cow drinks our water, they will die. We have Atlantic Ocean here, if they like they can lay pipes and take the water to wherever they like, but for colony, no I don’t know what it is. They say that if you speak, you die, if you don’t speak you die, so why not speak and die after all those who don’t speak die early” Wike stated.
The meeting endorsed candidates for the forthcoming NBA elections. They endorsed candidates include: Chief Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN for the position of NBA President, Stanley Chidi Imo, for First Vice-President, Sebastine Anya for Welfare Secretary, Uju Mary Chukwuma-Okafor for Treasurer, Emeka Anosike Financial Secretary and Mr. Seth Nwokolo for the office of Assistant Publicity Secretary.
The candidates emerged after the screening exercise conducted by the Forum’s Screening Committee, comprising of all the members of the Governing Council of the Association, Branch Chairmen and Secretaries of all EBF branches, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria from the EBF States, all National Officers of the NBA from the EBF zone, in compliance with Article 11 of its Constitution. This was subsequently approved by the General Meeting of the EBF.
The screening exercise was witnessed by the First-Vice President of the NBA, Mr. Caleb Dajan, Third Vice-President of the NBA, Mr. Ben Oji, Welfare Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Adesina Adegbite, Vicechairman of Arewa Lawyers Forum Mr. Garba Pwul (SAN) who led a team of Arewa Lawyers to the event, representing the Chairman of Arewa Lawyers Forum
Mr. M.A. Abubakar who is now the Governor of Bauchi State, Secretary of South West Lawyers, Egbe- Aomfin Mr. Ranti Ajeleti who led a very strong delegation from the South West Lawyers to the event, and a delegation of the Mid-West Bar Forum led by its publicity Secretary, Mr. Alex I. Obade.
National officers of the NBA of EBF extraction present at the event include: The Second Vice-President of the NBA, Mr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, First Assistant Secretary Mr. Leo Okey Ohagba, Financial Secretary, Mrs Ngozi Udodi, National Publicity Secretary, John Austin Unachukwu, Second Assistant Secretary, Ms Cecilia Ugbuji and Assistant Financial Secretary, Mrs Dorcas Ngwu.