President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata has expressed regret over the looting of the conference materials collection centre by lawyers at the ongoing Annual General Conference (AGC) of the association.
He also lamented the attack on registration officers at the event noting that members of the association behaved in a “most despicable manner.”
He stated this in a statement issued at the venue of the conference titled “Collection of Conference Materials.”
According to him: “The registration centre for the collection of materials by delegates at the ongoing Annual General Conference was broken into, vandalised, and looted by some delegates last night with most of the conference materials carted away and lawyers/registration officers injured.”
While acknowledging and expressed regret that there were lapses in the distribution process, he maintained that Tuesday’s night’s incident was “a national embarrassment as some of our members conducted themselves in a most despicable manner not expected of members of the profession.”
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Owing to the development, the NBA President relocated the conference materials collection centre.
He said collection of materials would commence at 2pm yesterday day at the BWC Hotel located opposite the Eko Atlantic and that delegates will be admitted into the collection centre in batches of 80 at a time.
He said delegates are expected to be seated (or to provide their details) in Breakout Room D at the Eko Atlantic pending when they are called, or sent a text message, to come to the collection centre to pick up their materials.
“We cannot afford to risk the lives and safety of our members, colleagues and contractors at the conference venue on account of collection of materials.
“I have therefore met the leadership of the TCCP, and a decision has been taken for the destroyed registration centre at the conference village to be shut down.’’
He assured that every delegate would get his or her materials and therefore encourage members to cooperate with the registration officers in this process so as to avoid a repeat of Tuesday night’s ugly incident.