NBA National body appoints Caretaker Committee to conduct Udu Branch NBA's election, slates election

The National body of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has appointed Care taker Committee to over see the affairs of  the Udu Branch of the Union pending the conduct of election  which is slated on the 7th July, 2024.

In a press statement signed by the National President of the Union, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN and made available to PEBNEWS said, the Care taker Committee has to be appointed as a result of the inability of the election of the branch of Union to be held as  earlier  scheduled to take place on 16th June 2024 as the tenure of the  Executive Committee (EXCO), led by Mr Kingsley Asagba expired on 19 June 2024.

According to the statement, the failure of the election to be conducted before the expiration of the said executive  has resulted in a vacancy in the leadership of the Branch which is not the best interest of the Union. It further said, there  is a need to avoid any vacuum in the leadership of the branch to  forestall a breakdown of order, ensure compliance with the provisions of the NBA Constitution and the Uniform Byelaws for Branches. 

The  statement said, going by Section 10(1) of the Uniform Byelaws, the Union has  appointed   Caretaker Committee for Udu Branch which comprises thus: Ayo Asala, SAN – Chairman, V. F. Monye (Mrs) – Secretary and Patrick Mekako, Esq – Member.

According to the statement, the Caretaker Committee shall administer the affairs of the Branch beginning from 30th June, 2024  for the sole purpose of supervising the conduct of the branch election  which is scheduled to be held on 7th July, 2024 and the new executive shall be sworn in  immediately on 
the same date or such other date not later than 10th July, 2024. 

The NBA National body however said, with this new arrangement, no new process shall be commenced or undertaken by the Caretaker Committee but all the processes, notices, publications and documents issued by the erstwhile Electoral Committee remain valid and shall be adopted by the Caretaker Committee. 

According to the statement, the body therefore reiterates  that the mandate of the Branch Electoral Committee also lapsed on 19th  June, 2024 when  the tenure of the Branch EXCO expired and therefore  directs  the former Chairman, Kingsley Asagba, Esq, and the members of the Executive Committee of Udu Branch, to forthwith, hand-over ALL Branch documents, monies, and properties, howsoever described, to the Caretaker Committee, within 48 hours from the date of this notice adding that, failure to hand over as directed herein shall amount to  gross misconduct and liable to be reported to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

While the body expressed gratitude to  members of the Committee for graciously accepting this responsibility, it urged them to discharge their duties in accordance with the law, without fear or favour just as it said members of the branch are enjoined to give the Caretaker Committee maximum support and co-operation to ensure smooth transition to a new leadership in the branch.