The 2nd Vice President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA Mr Monday Onyekachi Ubani in continuation of his supervisory role over the Northern Region branches was in Bauchi between 18th to 22nd of April, 2018 to have an interactive summit with Chairmen and Secretaries of the entire branches in the North East zone.
Before the summit which took place on the 21st of April, 2018 he paid visits to the major stakeholders in the administration of justice in the State. On the 19th of April, he and some of the Executives of Bauchi Branch comprising the Chairman Mr M.M. Maidoki, the Secretary, Treasurer and other leaders of the bar paid official visit to the Police State Command where they met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police as the Commissioner of Police was away to Abuja on an official duty.
His second visit was to Chief Judge of the State Hon Justice Rabi Talatu Umar whose relationship with the bar was reported as being very cordial. She was very receptive and cataloged all the challenges the judiciary is facing in justice delivery in the State. Similar challenges were enumerated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police on behalf of the police as a stakeholder.
The visits continued the second day being the 20th of April, 2018 where the 2nd VP alongside with the executives and members of the Bauchi State visited the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of the State Mr Haruna Deke Mohammed, a bar man to the core.
They eventually visited His Excellency the Governor of Bauchi State, Mr Mohammed Abubakar who is also a lawyer. The Governor highlighted his achievements especially in the of administration of justice in the State and also on security which is a big problem in the North East zone.
Ubani with the state Chief Judge of the State Hon Justice Rabi Talatu Umar
He recounted how he has managed to achieve relative peace and provided security to lives and properties in the State. He thereafter applauded the current leadership of NBA for some of the innovations they have introduced including this regional visitation by the Vice Presidents.
The visit was rounded up with a fruitful meeting with the Executives and Members of the Magistrate Association of Nigeria, Bauchi Branch. They enumerated their own peculiar problems which bothers on infrastructure and welfare of their members. They were advised to table some of their problems to the new Attorney General of the State who is willing to ensure efficient justice delivery in the State.
The summit proper with the Chairmen and Secretaries of the branches who had come into Bauchi from their various states and branches took place on the 21st of April, 2018. Eight out of the nine branches in the entire North East were represented by their Chairmen, Secretaries and for some of the Branches, two or more executives came along for the said meeting.
It was a fruitful meeting in which the policies and direction of the NBA at the national were clearly explained to the branches’ leadership with a feed back mechanism from them concerning the national secretariat. Several complaints were tabled and the Vice President promised to communicate those complaints to the National President and the Secretariat for redress.
It will be recalled that the 2nd VP had earlier on last year visited the North West and North Central zones of the Northern Region wherein such summits successfully took place and the grievances expressed by the leadership passed over to the National Secretariat for redress.
The 2nd VP is of the firm view that these visits are very important and necessary if we intend to strengthen the branches to enable them address some of the yearnings and aspirations of the membership especially now that majority of the members are feeling that the NBA does not care about their welfare and interest generally.
