Stop crying more that the bereaved, Mid-West Bar tells Agbakoba

(Nigeria) The Mid-West Bar Forum of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Tuesday, called on former President of the association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, to stop crying louder than the bereaved, over his stance that it was the turn of the West to produce the next president of the association, noting that core West and Mid-West make up the West.

Agbakoba had in a statement on Monday, said that it was the turn of the West, which translate to the core West, to produce the next president of the NBA to the exclusion of the Mid-West, as he called for the zoning adopted by the association to be respected.

However, Mid-West Bar in a statement by its chairman, Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, said “Our attention has been drawn to the letter purportedly written by Agbakoba.  We would not want to believe that the letter under reference was indeed written by Agbakoba.  Our disbelief stems from the fact that at a meeting held in March, 2012 to addressed the legitimate demands and aspiration of the Midwest Bar Forum for the NBA presidential slot, Agbakoba submitted a written position wherein he clearly stated that for the purpose of the zoning of the NBA presidency, both the Midwest Bar Forum and Egbe Amofin belong to the West. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, the then president of the NBA and the prominent and respected leaders that attended included Chief T. Okpoko, SAN, and Chief Bamidele Aiku, SAN, who represented the Midwest Bar Forum and the Egbe Amofin respectively.

“In fact, it is unthinkable that a man of his status would turn around to take a contrary position because of his support for a particular candidate and /or the exigencies of the present election. It is important to note that there is no South West in the informal zoning configuaration of the NBA as far as the office of the presidency is concerned. For the avoidance of doubt, the three recognized zones are North, East and West (i.e Egbe Amofin and Midwest).

“In the unlikely event that the letter under reference was indeed written by Agbakoba, there is need to remind him that a decision had already be taken by the leaders and elders of the Bar at the aforesaid meeting in Abuja, in March, 2012.  At the meeting, the NBA 2014 presidency was zoned to the West thus; leaving the door open for any member of the Midwest Bar Forum or Egbe Amofin to contest the election. The South-West-(Egbe Amofin) and the Midwest Bar Forum have since moved beyond Agbakoba’s partisan position. Both parties have already agreed that they belong to the West.

“However, the unresolved issue is as to which of the two fora in the West will field a candidate in 2014. Efforts to resolve the question of precedence on the basis of fairness and propriety have not yielded dividend. On that note, the parties concerned have agreed to meet at the polls for the NBA to choose between the contesting Western (Midwest and Egbe Amofin) candidates. Agbakoba therefore, has every right to vote for his candidate on electionday, but he has no right to peddle untruth and cry louder than the bereaved.

“Finally, a leaf must be borrowed from the East where in the last election, candidates from different parts of the zone contested the election. That in our view represents the true spirit of democracy.”