The President of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA ), Paul Usoro (SAN) has denied rumour that he left early and did not participate in Tuesday’s emergency meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in Abuja.
Usoro said, contrary to the wrong impression created by some publications, he participated in the meeting until all NBA’s representatives were asked to excuse the meeting when petitioners against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the acting CJN, Justices Walter Onnoghen and Ibrahim Muhammad were about to be considered.
The NBA President, who said he presented his association’s position to the meeting, said he was the last of NBA’s representatives to exit the meeting.
Usoro’s position is contained in a statement issued early on Wednesday by NBA’s Publicity Secretary, Kunle Edun.
The statement reads: “Gentlemen, while our patriotic members were doing the needful to ensure full compliance with the directive of NBA-NEC regarding the boycott of courts, a false reportage was published purporting that the NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN did not participate in the NJC meeting yesterday, and left early.
“Please, kindly disregard the false reportage. It is most unfortunate that important issues can be trivialised for no just cause. The story is 100% untrue.
“The NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN was at the meeting with the other NBA representatives up to the point that the NJC had to consider the petitions against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen and Hon. Mr. Justice Tanko Muhammad, at which point the NBA representatives had to leave the meeting in compliance with the constitutional stipulation that excludes NBA representatives from the meeting when disciplinary issues are considered by the NJC.
“It is important to also state that before the exit of the NBA Representatives, the NBA President had fully briefed the NJC on the NBA stand & position, and the Council was most appreciative.
“We continue to urge members not to be distracted by such negative reportage. The NBA remains non partisan but shall continue to insist that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be respected by all parties regarding the purported suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.”