2019 NBA Lagos Elections: Gloria Egeonu Makes Her Pitch
Gloria Egeonu, a legal practitioner and dedicated member of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is running for the office of Social Secretary in the 2019 elections, and she believes she possesses the requisite set of competencies and attributes for the role of image-maker for the nation’s premier bar branch.
She made this assertion at an exclusive chat with NEWSWIRE Law & Events magazine on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 in Lagos.
Here are excerpts of the interview:
NEWSWIRE: Tell us a bit about your personal and professional background.
EGEONU: My name is Gloria Ngozi Egeonu. I’m a lawyer, and I serve as the Principal Partner with Egeonu Gloria & Co. The law firm was set up in 2014. We do consultancy work, litigation, real estate, and corporate practice.
What was your motivation to become a lawyer in the first place?
My motivation was to serve humanity, and to help those people who do not have the means or the power to help themselves, who cannot afford legal assistance.
What are you bringing to the table as far as the office of Social Secretary is concerned – in terms of your abilities, experience and attributes?
It was not really my intention to run for this office at this point in time. But after my service to the Surulere Lawyers’ Forum, where I served as chairman of the 2018 Dinner Committee, the Forum prevailed on me to go and serve the branch as Social Secretary, following my stewardship at the Forum – reason being that if I could achieve what I did at the Forum, then I could do more at the branch level in uplifting the image of the Bar.
Tell us a few of the most important things you intend to do as Social Secretary. How would you improve on what’s on ground already, and also bring in new innovations?
First of all, I will work to improve on the quality and variety of meals we serve during NBA meetings and events. We will need to move from just rice-based meals to a rich variety that includes vitamins, proteins and especially fruits. I will also work towards giving every member a sense of belonging during our events. I especially want to improve our social life as lawyers and make it more robust, for example by organizing periodic and affordable picnics and vacations (both locally and internationally) as a group. I look forward to involving law firms and other major stakeholders in this effort in terms of sponsorship and critical support. I also look forward to improving the Bar’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile; I’d like to see more support for members of the outside community, not just lawyers, in terms of free legal advice and support. I will also seek the support of institutions like banks in terms of helping to control traffic especially on Lagos Island, and also to do our bit to clean up our streets as a CSR contribution.
How do you rate your chances of winning – given your assessment of the opposition, or likely opposition?
I rate my chances very highly, because I’ve done this before at the Surulere Lawyers’ Forum. People who came for our 2018 dinner were all very happy with what went on. We had sponsorship, and everything was free of charge. I can boast of my integrity and passion in all I do, and my stewardship at the Surulere Lawyers’ Forum demonstrated that. So I’m very optimistic about my chances.
What is your message to the electorate?
Vote for me – Gloria Egeonu, for a more dynamic social life.
NEWSWIRE: Thank you, and all the best.
EGEONU: Thank you.
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