El-rufai apology: Usoro is on his own – Lawyer

A lawyer, Emmanuel Zion Ewere has disclosed that the letter of apology written by out-going president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro regarding the withdrawal of Governor El-rufai invitation to the 60th NBA conference is on personal grounds, and does not reflect the position of the Association.

Usoro had written letter of apology to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) over the withdrawal of El-rufai’ as a Speaker at the conference.

But, Barrister Ewere who spoke at a virtual conference organised by Elombah Television and anchored in UK over the weekend said the withdrawal of the invitation hitherto extended to El-rufai is in the best interest of the Association.

The Topic of the video conference was: The 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Governor Nasir El-Rufai Controversy [WATCH VIDEO BELOW]

Ewere berated the NBA President for his poor management of the Association’s affairs and for writing the letter of apology.

He said, “Paul Usoro made his apology to El-rufai on personal grounds, and not on behalf of the Association, because the NBA has the right to decide who would speak at their conference and who will not speak for them.

“Usoro made the apology on personal grounds and he was trying to make a clarification that there was no religious or ethnic issue with the the withdrawal of the invite.

“I voted for Paul Usoro, but at some point, I was not in support of his style of administration, I have written several press releases, even an open letter to Paul Usoro to express my sadness over his manner of going about things.

“Paul Usoro plays some kind of politics with the Association.”

Ewere explained the reasons behind NBA’s decision to withdraw El-rufai’s invitation and said the refusal of the governor to obey Court orders, his treatment of lawyers, and the crisis in Southern Kaduna as behind the dis-invite.

“Allowing El-rufai to speak at Bar Conference would have sent bad signals for the Associates.

The Lawyer said, “I believe the right decision has been taken by NBA on the withdrawal of El-rufai invitation as a Speaker at the NBA conference.

“The decision should be applauded, it is has sent a very good signal, protest is not litigation, it is not a child’s play.”

On how NBA came to invite El-rufai in the first place, he said, “The NBA usually entrust the power to organize conference to the hand of a technical committee, the TCCP,  the committee will present persons that will touch on the theme of the Conference and the persons selected are from different fields of life.

“The NEC that afterwards excluded El-rufai from the conference is the second highest decision making authority of the Association.

“TCCP is bound by the decisions of the NEC, when TCCP actually nominated him, it was not convenient for the membership of the Association and they raised a protest immediately to the NEC that can make a decision to counter what TCCP had set up and it actually worked out.”

On the petition against Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Nyeson Wike, currently being championed by some elements of the public, he said, “I am fully aware of the petition against Obasanjo and Wike on the social media.

“If they continue to remove people, I think they will destabilize the system, they have done the main exclusion and that had set a very good message to Nigerian Politicians that they cannot do just anything and get away with it.

“Obasanjo is not a saint, he has done so many things that is not good, nevertheless, he has been writing so many funny letters, that passed a good message as well.

“Nobody is a saint in Nigeria, we are concerned about the people that will send wrong signals on the NBA platform, and that is our major concern. ”

Ewere recommended that NBA should go back to regional system in which each region will have her own Bar Association because of our ethnic differences.

“Nigeria should go back to a regional system and allow each region operate her own Bar because of our ethnic differences and religious stand.

“A regional bar should operate in the South and the North should also have their own bar, it will send a good message to the Nigeria system.”

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook