By John Austin Unachukwu
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will this August hold a virtual Annual General Conference (AGC), the first of its kind.
NBA President Paul Usoro (SAN) stated that this is the common sense thing to do in the face of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a statement, he gave two reasons for the decision: the disease is deadly, easily transmissible and is already ravaging the population; secondly, no cure has so far been found for it, and a vaccine, according to medical scientists, may not be available till 2021.
He noted that based on these facts, most countries, including Nigeria, have deployed containment measures to stem the spread of the virus and these include social/physical distancing and not having gatherings of more than 20 persons.
He noted also that in furtherance of these containment measures, governments have placed bans and restrictions on gatherings generally, including cultural, religious, business and social gatherings such as burials, celebration parties, general meetings of companies, conferences etc.
Usoro said: “As it relates to our 2020 AGC, the prognosis does not suggest that COVID-19 would abate by August 2020 when we are scheduled to hold the conference and there is therefore no basis to believe or expect that these restrictions, which, we must remember, are for our communal life-saving benefits, would or should be lifted by then.
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“We must also remember that our AGCs are always large gatherings of lawyers, judicial officers, justice sector stakeholders and indeed the general public.”
According to him, the 2019 AGC had a record attendance of over 12,000 delegates “and we were expecting to have a higher number for the 2020 Conference given the fact that 2020 not only marks 60 years of Nigeria’s independence but also 60 years of the NBA Annual General Conference.
“Even though we still expect record numbers for the 2020 AGC, our present COVID-19 circumstance does not recommend the physical congregation of such a multitude in a single conference location.”
Usoro said nevertheless, canceling the Conference was not and is not an option, because that “would be defeatist. It would amount to rolling over and submitting to COVID-19.”
He described Nigerians as resilient, tough, inventive and resourceful even in the face of daunting odds and challenges.
Usoro added: “And that is precisely what we resolved to do in regard to our 2020 AGC: put on our thinking caps and come up with creative and ingenious ways of hosting our traditional and much-cherished annual Conference, taking account of COVID-19 while not submitting or resigning ourselves to it.
“It was in that circumstance that the decision was made to host the Conference virtually or remotely while still working towards a conference that would, in content and aesthetics, surpass any that we have had in previous years.”
He said it was “rather interesting, albeit, coincidental” that, on the same day that the NBA decided, to host a virtual 2020 AGC, the International Bar Association (IBA) also announced its decision to host the 2020 IBA Conference coming up in November virtually as well.
“The world is indeed moving in that direction and we may actually be the pioneers in the circle of Law Societies and Bar Associations. During my almost two-hour meeting with the TCCP members, which, by the way, was hosted virtually, I was delighted to see, feel and hear the palpable excitement and buzz of ideas amongst the committee members.
He said the committee members were determined “to make this the most exciting Conference of all times that would hold and sustain the attention and interest of our members while addressing practical everyday issues that face the rule of law, our profession, and Nigerians generally.
“The details of the Conference – including a Help Desk where all your questions would be addressed in the build-up to the AGC – would be unveiled by the TCCP led by our indomitable and forward-looking Professor Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN.”
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