A heated dispute has erupted between the Rivers State government, led by the Sole Administrator, and the eight branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the state. The bone of contention is a recent query issued to the Chairman of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Cordelia Eke, by the state’s Ministry of Justice.
The NBA, in a unified statement, strongly criticized the State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas, accusing him of overstepping his mandate and disregarding the rule of law in Rivers State. This condemnation followed the NBA’s concerns over the current political climate in the state.
In response, the Sole Administrator, through a query signed by the Director of Administration in the Ministry of Justice, Ebiriemg Deresima, dated April 25, accused Mrs. Eke of “serious misconduct.” The query alleged that she co-authored a communique that criticized the administration for “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity,” actions the government deemed unconstitutional and in violation of Public Service Rules, claiming they were unbecoming of a civil servant.
However, Mrs. Eke vehemently refuted these allegations, describing the query as a calculated attempt by the Sole Administrator to stifle free speech and undermine democratic principles under the guise of maintaining peace in the politically charged state.
The chairmen of the eight NBA branches in Rivers State rallied behind Mrs. Eke, denouncing the query as an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissenting voices within the legal profession. They clarified that Mrs. Eke’s involvement in the criticized communique was in her capacity as the elected Chairman of the Port Harcourt Branch, a role distinct from any civil service position, and in line with the NBA’s constitutional duty.
The branch chairmen emphasized that their collective statements, including the one from April 9 referenced in the query, were the result of formal deliberations within the Association and represented the unified stance of all NBA branches in Rivers State. They further highlighted that their position aligns with the national leadership of the NBA, as articulated by the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
In their joint statement, the NBA chairmen declared, “The query to our brother Chairman is nothing but a ploy by which the Sole Administrator seeks to intimidate her into discontinuing her functions and duties as Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch and an attempt to intimidate lawyers in Rivers State and, by extension, other good people of Rivers State from standing up and speaking against executive rascality and impunity.”
They firmly asserted the NBA’s core objective of promoting the Rule of Law and their unwavering commitment to act as watchdogs of society, holding truth to power on behalf of lawyers and the general public, vowing they would not be intimidated into silence.
The NBA chairmen concluded by unequivocally condemning the query and demanding its immediate withdrawal. The statement was jointly signed by Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire (Ahoada Branch), Simple Dioha (Isiokpo Branch), Abiye Abo (Degema Branch), Dr. N. A. Duson (Bori Branch), and Dr. Celestine Nwankwo (Okehi Branch), underscoring the united front of the legal body in the face of perceived intimidation.
