The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has warned the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike not to use the NBA as a tool to score cheap political points
Wike had at the special reception held for the recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, criticized the bar association of failing to defend the judiciary and describing it as a “paper tiger”
But NBA President Olumide Akpata in a statement described Wike’s claims as baseless
The NBA President questioned Wike’s memory of events when the NBA fought and challenged the executive and executive officers at both the state and federal levels over attempts to undermine the judiciary
The statement recalls the crisis in the Cross River State judiciary “when, against established legal tradition, the Governor of the State refused to appoint the most senior Judge in the State – Justice Akon Ikpeme – as the substantive Chief Judge on the ground that she was not an indigene of Cross River State.
“That was an attempt by the executive arm of government to extend its political turf to the Judiciary, and the active role that the NBA played both publicly and privately in defending the Judiciary and resolving that ugly debacle in that State (and a few other States where similar scenarios played out afterwards) is well-documented”.
It also cited the recent case of illegal attempted raid on the residence of Justice Odili. “Nigerians would recall how the NBA swiftly rose to the defence of Mary Peter Odili JSC (rtd) in particular, and the Nigerian Judiciary in general, when the former’s residence was invaded by rogue officers of the security agencies. The NBA’s fierce opposition to the illegal invasion also included the appointment of a Special Investigator to unravel those behind the illegality. That the Special Investigator, after an extensive fact finding process, did not find the executive culpable is indicative of the fact that his appointment was not intended to achieve a contrived end, and should not be interpreted as the NBA being a “paper tiger”.
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The NBA also reminded Governor Wike of the stance it took when the Governor of Ebonyi state publicly abused a judge for sacking him. “Also fresh in our collective memories is the NBA’s defence of Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court who was wrongly excoriated by His Excellency Engr. Dave Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi State after an unfavourable judgment was entered against the Governor.
“The NBA’s defence of the Judiciary in that case would later result in an almost immediate apology by the Governor”.
The NBA President sees Governor Wike’s attack as a misplaced strategy to propel his political ambition. “While we understand that Governor Wike is currently on the political soapbox and, like a man with the proverbial new hammer, to whom any and everything is a nail, he will latch unto any chance to sell his candidacy, he cannot and should not be allowed to use the NBA as fodder of any sort for his vaulting ambition.”
