For the second time in a week, lawyers went on rampage over the collection of bags and other conference materials of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday in Lagos.
The incident happened at BWC Hotel, opposite Eko Atlantic on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, venue of NBA’s Annual General Conference (AGC).
While the annual general meeting (AGM) was on-going, lawyers besieged BWC Hotel and grounded its services.
A bewildered NBA President Olumide Akpata informed the meeting about the development, expressing his disgust over the conduct of the lawyers involved in the melee.
He said: “Lawyers have taken over BWC Hotel. Lawyers are sitting on the tables and desks of the hotel.
“It has become impossible for the hotel to conduct its businesses.”
Following the incident, Akpata sought and got the permission of other lawyers at the AGM and quickly dispatched the association’s First Vice President John Aikpokpo-Martins to BWC Hotel to join officials in charge of distribution of the conference materials to bring the situation under control.
Also, the NBA has stepped down its proposed constitution amendments.
The decision was taken yesterday at the association’s AGM at the Eko Atlantic City on Victoria Island.
Akpata had told the meeting that there were many areas of the NBA constitution that needed amendments.
The NBA president regretted that the meeting would not proceed with the amendments to the constitution.
“As ministers in the temple of justice, I propose that we step down constitution amendments,” he said.
He thereafter asked for a voice vote on the issue and the lawyers returned a tumultuous “ayes” without a dissenting voice on the matter.
The Nation gathered that the NBA suspended the constitution amendments following the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which set aside the suspension of the association’s General Secretary, Mrs. Joyce Oduah.
In response to the court order, the NBA yesterday filed an application at the Court of Appeal in Abuja to restrain Mrs. Oduah from giving effect to the Federal High Court order which reversed the NBA-NEC’s ratification of her suspension.
Along with its Notice of Appeal, the NBA also filed an injunction, pending appeal, to suspend the effect of or any actions or steps that may give effect to the court order under appeal at the appellate court.
The NBA, through its lawyers, had argued that the lower court, in reaching its decision, erred by failing to take into account the reliefs sought in Oduah’s originating summons in making a determination on whether or not the ratification alters the subject-matter of the proceedings.