It is often said that he who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. That appears to be case of Chairman Bartholomew Aguegbodo, Esq. – who, from all indications, has made himself the biggest elephant in the NBA Ikeja newsroom as we write this.
Or, how else does one aptly describe this wanton condescension beyond acceptable limits of civilization where there is a consistent display of arrogantly doing the wrong things even when what is right stares nakedly in the face?We know and have heard of associations peopled by the unlettered and uneducated. From afar, we marvel at just how decently they conduct themselves.
They understand that belonging to an association means, to a large extent, submitting to the primacy of its extant rules and regulations. In the case of an association of lawyers, comprising the so-called learned class, you expect this compliance to be a given.
Sadly, this is not the case as they concern recent untoward events within the NBA Ikeja where one Bartholomew Aguegbodo, Esq. currently holds sway as Branch Chairman. Confirmed reports have indubitably shown that Mr. Aguegbodo, who crested unto his present position on the heels of the NBA Uniform By-Law 2015 (more widely recognized as the UBL), has now completely jettisoned the provisions of the UBL and had instead assumed a feudal, tyrannical and autocratic posture in the running and handling of entirety of the affairs of the Branch.
But, how did matters get to this sorry pass?Findings have shown that before the current imbroglio which has culminated in a suit being slammed against the Chairman and 15 others, things were already no longer at ease at the Branch as some selected events clearly indicate, to wit: (a) the Chairman came into office with a rigid mindset of working by his own rules and brooking no opposition.
To fully actualize this ignoble objective, he first set out to “co-opt” every elected member of the Executive into his “Team”, save for the erstwhile Treasurer – Basil Owolabi, Esq. – who vehemently refused to budge. In serial publications leading to his eventual resignation, the ex-Treasurer had pointed out diverse financial regulations “excesses” of the Chairman and his (the Chairman’s) serial attempts to suppress the then Treasurer’s insistence that all financial regulations be duly and obediently followed before funds are disbursed;
(b) there had been documented complaints also concerning the Chairman’s skewed and rather lazy interpretation of what constitutes a proper Executive Committee of the Branch – in clear violation of the very clear wordings of the relevant provisions of the UBL, which were drawn to his attention on countless number of times;
and (c) in yet another bold but ill-advised attempt to emasculate the provisions of the UBL in that regard, the Chairman had, against all sensible protestations, purported to constitute an “Electoral Committee” to conduct elections into the vacant offices of Branch Treasurer and Branch NEC Rep – clearly beyond his remit.In all of these, distinguished members of the Branch had watched in what appeared to be collegiate silence albeit with different reactions – some in outright stupefaction, others in denial; others still in full support, whilst some chose to sit on the fence and remained indifferent.
But to some others – though in seeming minority – the proverbial bubble had finally burst. In this last category are the duo of Roselyn Obakpolor and Joy Mnesoma who, without much ado, sued the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA, the Chairman and 14 others via an Originating Summons in Suit No.ID/4147 6011/2021.
The Claimants in the aforementioned suit also sought certain interlocutory injunctive reliefs, to abide the Court’s hearing and final decision on the substantive reliefs. As is customary in such situations, the Claimants, through their Counsel – Messrs D’Alpha & Knight Solicitors – equally dispatched an “Ojukwu” letter dated 9th August, 2021 to the Chairman, notifying him of the pendency of the suit and the application for injunction therein.
In a sad – if truth be told, but hardly surprising – turn of events, the Chairman, in clear defiance to the pendency of the suit of which he has clear knowledge and with the further knowledge of its even wider implications of foisting a fait accompli on the issues already submitted for determination before the Court, had since proceeded to instruct the previously referenced phony “Election Committee” to proceed to conduct elections into the aforementioned vacant positions;
instructions which the said “Committee” has also now very swiftly put into practical effect by issuing a memo dated August 13, 2021 – which purports to call for the commencement of campaign activities for the By-Election which it further purports would hold on the 27th of August, instant. The clear reading from the above primitive actions so far displayed by the Chairman is that he is now so power drunk that he not only believes that he can usurp the authority of the UBL without sanction, he also now clearly believes that he can usurp the powers of the Courts as well.
This is absurd. Mr Aguegbodo is so “desperate” to self-destruct that he is now showing scant (if at all) regard for the fact that the object of his crazy fancy – this desperate stubbornness to always insist on doing only that which the law has not donated to him – is, to his knowledge and open acknowledgment, already before the High Court of Lagos State as a critical issue for determination.
So far, there appears to be no real and or frantic reactions/moves from members and critical stakeholders of the noble Branch to stop Mr. Aguegbodo’s shameful charade. However, for us and other keen observers watching from the sidelines, the big question is: how will this pan out? The answer might just be blowing in the wind. Still, as the clichéd saying goes, only time will tell.Roselyn Obakpolor(The Immediate Past Vice-Chairman of Ikeja Branch and Joy Mmesoma Unable,Esq
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