Chairmen of the eight Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Rivers State have issued a strong condemnation of a recent query issued to the Chairman of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, Cordelia Eke, by the Administrator of Rivers State through the Ministry of Justice.
The query which was signed by Ebiriemg Deresima, the director of administration at the ministry of justice and dated April 25, accused Eke of “serious misconduct,” alleging she co-authored a communique criticising the administration for “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity” and for actions deemed unconstitutional, including the dismantling of democratic institutions and attacks on peaceful protesters.
The Administrator claimed her actions violated the Public Service Rules and were unbecoming of a civil servant.
In a joint press statement on Monday, the NBA branch chairmen described the allegations as an attempt to intimidate Mrs. Eke and stifle dissenting voices among legal professionals in the state. They clarified that Eke did not issue the controversial communique in her capacity as a civil servant, but rather as the elected chairman of the Port Harcourt Branch, in line with her constitutional mandate within the NBA.
The chairmen argued that their collective statements — including the one referenced from April 9th — were issued following formal deliberations within the association and reflected the position of all NBA branches in the state.
They also noted that their views align with those of the NBA at the national level, as articulated by the Association’s President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The NBA chairmen further criticised the query as part of a broader effort by the Sole Administrator to suppress free speech and dismantle democratic norms under the guise of maintaining peace. They asserted their duty to uphold the rule of law and vowed not to be silenced in the face of intimidation.
“The query to our brother Chairman is nothing but a ploy by which the Sole Administrator seeks to intimidate her into discontinuing her functions and duties as Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch, and an attempt to intimidate lawyers in Rivers State and by extension other good people of Rivers State from standing up and speaking against executive rascality and impunity,” they said.
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