ELECTION: NBA, Gadzama, Bar Leaders Hail SPIDEL, Ubani, Others

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has noted that the new
leadership of its Section on Public Interest and Development Law
(SPIDEL) was carefully chosen to ensure that the section does not
become comatose again.

Speaking during the Annual General Meeting of the section held
at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre, NBA Ibadan Branch, NBA First
Vice President and Chairman of the SPIDEL Electoral Committee, Mr.
John Aikpokpo-Martins said that he was mandated by NBA President,
Mr. Olumide Akpata “to ensure that those that will lead SPIDEL will
be able to lead it from where we are now to greater heights and to
ensure that SPIDEL does not fall into the doldrums again.”

Aside from fiery human rights activist, Mr. Monday Onyekachi
Ubani who was elected as the Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL Council, others
are Mr. Steve Abah, Vice Chairman; Dr. Princess Frank-Chukwuani,
Secretary; Funmilola Adeogun, Treasurer and Godfrey Echeho,
Publicity Secretary. Council members include Prof. Paul Ananaba
(SAN); Mr. Kunle Adegoke SAN; Mr. Kola Omotinugbon; Mr. Emeka
Nwadioke, Mr. Kunle Edun, Dr. Paul Ebiala, Anne Uruegi Agi, Igbeaku
Ukwueso Evulukwu, and Mr. Abdullahi Karaye.

Saying that the newly elected Council was not only in compliance
with the NBA Constitution but that “the list that we present to the
AGM is the best possible team,” the NBA stalwart assured that “By
the grace of God, SPIDEL has been revived. What is left is to build
on it.”

He emphasized the critical role of SPIDEL in safeguarding the
public interest, saying: “Personally, I believe that SPIDEL is the
flagship of NBA; once SPIDEL is working, NBA is working. It is the
major section that interfaces with the public and we cannot shirk
our responsibilities. The special thing about SPIDEL is that apart
from intellect, it is the only section that needs passion to drive
it. If there is no passion, it cannot be driven.”

Dissecting the challenges that hobbled SPIDEL before its revival
by the Prof. Paul Ananaba SAN leadership, the NBA chieftain said:
“The mistake that I believe that was made in the past was that
those who had passion were not in the driver’s seat of SPIDEL.
Having identified that issue therefore and the onerous task given
to us to ensure that there is a new election in the tradition of
sections of the Nigerian Bar, passion became the major factor; in
fact, it became the distinguishing factor when all other equities
were equal. I thank the immediate past EXCO for appointing us to
superintend the election.”

On his part, the pioneer Chairman of SPIDEL, Chief Joe-Kyari
Gadzama SAN said: “I have enjoyed the conference; I have enjoyed
the comradeship. I have reunited with colleagues and made new
friends. Ibadan is a nice place. I am happy for the success of the
outgoing leadership. I am also praying for victory for MOU and the
new council.

Gadzama traced the emergence of SPIDEL to 2006 when he served a
four-year term, saying: “We must stay connected. Like I said at the
Annual Conference, if there is one acronym that can replace the
acronym ‘NBA,’ it is ‘SPIDEL.’ SPIDEL is the way to go. And I’m
saying this from my heart of hearts, from my experiences. For those
who don’t know, I was a Council Member of Section on Business Law
which was the first in the series to be created. I also became a
Vice Chairman in the Section on Legal Practice. Then as God will
have it, I became the pioneer Chairman of SPIDEL. You can see the
trajectory; so I am talking from experience.

“SPIDEL is a kind of reconnection, a kind of covenant with the
public because it is the nexus between the Bar and the people.
Prof. Ananaba, we appreciate you on your very successful tenure.
MOU, we congratulate you on your assumption of office. We are there
for you. We were in the doldrums for almost 10 years but we are
back. Without challenges, you cannot celebrate victory. Challenges
make life more meaningful.”

Speaking at the AGM, former NBA First Vice President, Mr.
Ikeazor Akaraiwe SAN said: “I want to congratulate Elder Ananaba
for an excellent job. I am not being sycophantic. Ananaba has
written his name into the annals of the Bar in Nigeria. I hope that
when we are talking of election at the national level, that you
will be interested. If you can be able to revive SPIDEL, I think
that you can be able to do a lot. And I am speaking very honestly.
MOU is already a public interest man; he is already going to court
to challenge everything challengeable. So, what will happen now
that he is the Chair of SPIDEL? We have a good team here, good men
and women.”

In his remarks, Ananaba said: “The bible says there is a time
for everything. There was a time for SPIDEL to go down and go to
the wilderness; there was also a time for SPIDEL to come alive and
do what it ought to do. SPIDEL is in the hands of God. I will say
that because when we started the programme at Ritz Hotel, there was
nothing to talk about; it was ‘Try your luck.’ But God helped us.
As I look back now, I could see that it was just God. We had no
money, we were just being tolerated. Today, SPIDEL has come
back.”

Expressing confidence in the new council, Ananaba said: “A
ceremony that will be well attended is signposted by the amount of
firewood in the compound. If you look at the government we have put
in place, you can find out that they will go far. Let me make it
very clear, there will be turbulence on the road; the work of
SPIDEL is not business or filing motions. We are going to bring
that interest that is relevant to the society.

“It is not easy to bring public interest back to the society, to
the front burner. In other parts of the world, people do things in
the public interest. This administration we have put in place is
not accident. We believe that God will be with them. we believe
that we all will stand behind them and we will all do the long
walk. But it will end in praise.”

Speaking during a dinner he hosted especially for the outgoing
and incoming council members, former SPIDEL Council Member, Chief
Bolaji Ayorinde SAN congratulated both teams, saying: “MOU, I
congratulate you. After your tenure, the great work Elder Paul
Ananaba has done in SPIDEL you will do 10 times better. I support
SPIDEL.”

Also aligning with other Bar leaders on the pivotal role of
SPIDEL within the NBA framework, the former Chairman of Legal Aid
Council of Nigeria said: “I think SPIDEL is the spirit of the Bar
because SPIDEL defend the public. I pray that in the next two
years, the common man will rely on SPIDEL. That common man has lost
confidence in us as lawyers. That common man has lost confidence in
the courts. That is why during the ENDSARS protest, it was the
common man that went to Lagos High Court to put fire because the
common man has lost confidence in the judicial system and the
lawyers.”

Responding, Ubani noted the vital role of leadership, saying:
“Everything revolves around leadership. We will give leadership
that we believe and trust. People will come in naturally;
immediately we hold our next council meeting, the next thing is how
do we get our members to belong to SPIDEL. The next thing is that
we will begin to develop programmes.

“I thank God for people like Mr. Victor Nwakasi whom I have so
much confidence and trust in. During the planning of this
conference, he, Emeka Nwadioke and some of other CPC members that
are here sacrificed so much towards the success of our Annual
Conference. They were fantastic, they were fabulous. I am very
impressed with you all.

“We need to develop our programmes and probably find development
partners for us to be a voice for the voiceless in Nigeria. I want
to really appreciate all of you on behalf of the council members
for your patience in staying to conduct this election. 2022
Conference by the grace of Almighty God shall be better than Ibadan
2021.

“It is clear that our mandate is cut out. We will pursue it and
make a difference. In terms of lawyers being the voice of the
voiceless, there are so many wrongs in our country but so few
people to seek redress. We must begin do things to restore the
confidence of the public in the judiciary. We will take enforcement
of judgements seriously and cite persons impeding such enforcement
within the law enforcement agencies for disciplinary action. Things
will never be the same again. Within these two years, we are
committed to do a lot of work. JK is a mentor, a father, a friend
who is completely detribalized. Chief Ayorinde’s insights on public
interest matters is highly impressive.”

Following the presentation of the proposed list of new council
members by the NBA 1st Vice President, the general meeting had
unanimously approved the list. Aikpokpo-Martins then said: “You are
hereby declared as elected members of council of NBA SPIDEL for the
next two years.”

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has noted that the new
leadership of its Section on Public Interest and Development Law
(SPIDEL) was carefully chosen to ensure that the section does not
become comatose again.

Speaking during the Annual General Meeting of the section held
at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre, NBA Ibadan Branch, NBA First
Vice President and Chairman of the SPIDEL Electoral Committee, Mr.
John Aikpokpo-Martins said that he was mandated by NBA President,
Mr. Olumide Akpata “to ensure that those that will lead SPIDEL will
be able to lead it from where we are now to greater heights and to
ensure that SPIDEL does not fall into the doldrums again.”

Aside from fiery human rights activist, Mr. Monday Onyekachi
Ubani who was elected as the Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL Council, others
are Mr. Steve Abah, Vice Chairman; Dr. Princess Frank-Chukwuani,
Secretary; Funmilola Adeogun, Treasurer and Godfrey Echeho,
Publicity Secretary. Council members include Prof. Paul Ananaba
(SAN); Mr. Kunle Adegoke SAN; Mr. Kola Omotinugbon; Mr. Emeka
Nwadioke, Mr. Kunle Edun, Dr. Paul Ebiala, Anne Uruegi Agi, Igbeaku
Ukwueso Evulukwu, and Mr. Abdullahi Karaye.

Saying that the newly elected Council was not only in compliance
with the NBA Constitution but that “the list that we present to the
AGM is the best possible team,” the NBA stalwart assured that “By
the grace of God, SPIDEL has been revived. What is left is to build
on it.”

He emphasized the critical role of SPIDEL in safeguarding the
public interest, saying: “Personally, I believe that SPIDEL is the
flagship of NBA; once SPIDEL is working, NBA is working. It is the
major section that interfaces with the public and we cannot shirk
our responsibilities. The special thing about SPIDEL is that apart
from intellect, it is the only section that needs passion to drive
it. If there is no passion, it cannot be driven.”

Dissecting the challenges that hobbled SPIDEL before its revival
by the Prof. Paul Ananaba SAN leadership, the NBA chieftain said:
“The mistake that I believe that was made in the past was that
those who had passion were not in the driver’s seat of SPIDEL.
Having identified that issue therefore and the onerous task given
to us to ensure that there is a new election in the tradition of
sections of the Nigerian Bar, passion became the major factor; in
fact, it became the distinguishing factor when all other equities
were equal. I thank the immediate past EXCO for appointing us to
superintend the election.”

On his part, the pioneer Chairman of SPIDEL, Chief Joe-Kyari
Gadzama SAN said: “I have enjoyed the conference; I have enjoyed
the comradeship. I have reunited with colleagues and made new
friends. Ibadan is a nice place. I am happy for the success of the
outgoing leadership. I am also praying for victory for MOU and the
new council.

Gadzama traced the emergence of SPIDEL to 2006 when he served a
four-year term, saying: “We must stay connected. Like I said at the
Annual Conference, if there is one acronym that can replace the
acronym ‘NBA,’ it is ‘SPIDEL.’ SPIDEL is the way to go. And I’m
saying this from my heart of hearts, from my experiences. For those
who don’t know, I was a Council Member of Section on Business Law
which was the first in the series to be created. I also became a
Vice Chairman in the Section on Legal Practice. Then as God will
have it, I became the pioneer Chairman of SPIDEL. You can see the
trajectory; so I am talking from experience.

“SPIDEL is a kind of reconnection, a kind of covenant with the
public because it is the nexus between the Bar and the people.
Prof. Ananaba, we appreciate you on your very successful tenure.
MOU, we congratulate you on your assumption of office. We are there
for you. We were in the doldrums for almost 10 years but we are
back. Without challenges, you cannot celebrate victory. Challenges
make life more meaningful.”

Speaking at the AGM, former NBA First Vice President, Mr.
Ikeazor Akaraiwe SAN said: “I want to congratulate Elder Ananaba
for an excellent job. I am not being sycophantic. Ananaba has
written his name into the annals of the Bar in Nigeria. I hope that
when we are talking of election at the national level, that you
will be interested. If you can be able to revive SPIDEL, I think
that you can be able to do a lot. And I am speaking very honestly.
MOU is already a public interest man; he is already going to court
to challenge everything challengeable. So, what will happen now
that he is the Chair of SPIDEL? We have a good team here, good men
and women.”

In his remarks, Ananaba said: “The bible says there is a time
for everything. There was a time for SPIDEL to go down and go to
the wilderness; there was also a time for SPIDEL to come alive and
do what it ought to do. SPIDEL is in the hands of God. I will say
that because when we started the programme at Ritz Hotel, there was
nothing to talk about; it was ‘Try your luck.’ But God helped us.
As I look back now, I could see that it was just God. We had no
money, we were just being tolerated. Today, SPIDEL has come
back.”

Expressing confidence in the new council, Ananaba said: “A
ceremony that will be well attended is signposted by the amount of
firewood in the compound. If you look at the government we have put
in place, you can find out that they will go far. Let me make it
very clear, there will be turbulence on the road; the work of
SPIDEL is not business or filing motions. We are going to bring
that interest that is relevant to the society.

“It is not easy to bring public interest back to the society, to
the front burner. In other parts of the world, people do things in
the public interest. This administration we have put in place is
not accident. We believe that God will be with them. we believe
that we all will stand behind them and we will all do the long
walk. But it will end in praise.”

Speaking during a dinner he hosted especially for the outgoing
and incoming council members, former SPIDEL Council Member, Chief
Bolaji Ayorinde SAN congratulated both teams, saying: “MOU, I
congratulate you. After your tenure, the great work Elder Paul
Ananaba has done in SPIDEL you will do 10 times better. I support
SPIDEL.”

Also aligning with other Bar leaders on the pivotal role of
SPIDEL within the NBA framework, the former Chairman of Legal Aid
Council of Nigeria said: “I think SPIDEL is the spirit of the Bar
because SPIDEL defend the public. I pray that in the next two
years, the common man will rely on SPIDEL. That common man has lost
confidence in us as lawyers. That common man has lost confidence in
the courts. That is why during the ENDSARS protest, it was the
common man that went to Lagos High Court to put fire because the
common man has lost confidence in the judicial system and the
lawyers.”

Responding, Ubani noted the vital role of leadership, saying:
“Everything revolves around leadership. We will give leadership
that we believe and trust. People will come in naturally;
immediately we hold our next council meeting, the next thing is how
do we get our members to belong to SPIDEL. The next thing is that
we will begin to develop programmes.

“I thank God for people like Mr. Victor Nwakasi whom I have so
much confidence and trust in. During the planning of this
conference, he, Emeka Nwadioke and some of other CPC members that
are here sacrificed so much towards the success of our Annual
Conference. They were fantastic, they were fabulous. I am very
impressed with you all.

“We need to develop our programmes and probably find development
partners for us to be a voice for the voiceless in Nigeria. I want
to really appreciate all of you on behalf of the council members
for your patience in staying to conduct this election. 2022
Conference by the grace of Almighty God shall be better than Ibadan
2021.

“It is clear that our mandate is cut out. We will pursue it and
make a difference. In terms of lawyers being the voice of the
voiceless, there are so many wrongs in our country but so few
people to seek redress. We must begin do things to restore the
confidence of the public in the judiciary. We will take enforcement
of judgements seriously and cite persons impeding such enforcement
within the law enforcement agencies for disciplinary action. Things
will never be the same again. Within these two years, we are
committed to do a lot of work. JK is a mentor, a father, a friend
who is completely detribalized. Chief Ayorinde’s insights on public
interest matters is highly impressive.”

Following the presentation of the proposed list of new council
members by the NBA 1st Vice President, the general meeting had
unanimously approved the list. Aikpokpo-Martins then said: “You are
hereby declared as elected members of council of NBA SPIDEL for the
next two years.”