PERSPECTIVE

The J.K Ishember (Esq) led Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Makurdi Branch; Benue State is coming to an end. The learned gentleman states his stewardship challenges and the way-forward in this special interview with Senior Reporters Deborah Adekaa and Raphael Mbaiorga. Excerpts:

THE TRANSMITTER: look back to your journey as NBA Makurdi Chair for the past two years?

NBA CHAIR: Personally I come from a background where I don’t like blowing my trumpet. It is not in our character; we will prefer that let our account of stewardship be access by our immediate environment. The people we came to serve know better what was on ground and like football match, the spectators enjoy better than the players.

THE TRANSMITTER: At least there should be something to hold unto as an administration?

NBA CHAIR: We are a complete metropolitan Bar with members from different parts of the country. Coming on board, the executive committee had a focal agenda for unification of the branch. Looking back beyond this two years, we are happy to report that before we handover, we will bequeathed a united/formidable Makurdi Branch of the NBA.

THE TRANSMITTER: Tell us more about unity?

NBA CHAIR: Well the truth be told, in 2016 I was elected secretary of Makurdi Branch. That particular election was marred with some misgivings, I do not want to emphasis that, because it is like scratching an already healed wound. But we are all Nigerians; suffice is to say that tempers were hurt. We believe God that tempers have calmed down. Let’s take it that we are on one boat and the coast is clear.

THE TRANSMITTER: What other achievement(s)?

NBA CHAIR: Moving from the central issue of unity, we are pleased to report to you that the physical infrastructural development that was distill from our retreat, we tried and by God’s grace we achieved a substantial part of it. I said substantial because the ultimate goal we knew we could not achieve it. But we have set a motion machinery to achieve that ultimate goal and we are prepared. And the ultimate goal is that the Makurdi Nigerian Bar Association shall be operated in her own Bar center. For now we are still occupying a very strategic place however still in a rented apartment. But it is our dream the Nigerian Bar Association, Makurdi Branch would move to her permanent Bar center that will serve as a relaxation spot, a center for research and other activities like recreational facilities, gym and library. By the grace of God and the able leadership of the chairman 2019 Law week planning committee we were able to gather support and resources from well-meaning Nigerians, Government of Benue State inclusive. The Governor in his own magnanimity donated land for the construction of the Bar center. The land is located at kilometer-12 Makurdi-Aliade road directly opposite the power plant location.

THE TRANSMITTER: That is well out of town?

NBA CHAIR: The Executive Committee view it that, it is preferable to have a Bar center within the hub of Makurdi township to elicit attendance to meeting. With part of the resources gathered during the 2019 Law week under the leadership of Associate Professor Magdalene Dura, the EXCO in its wisdom decided to use part of the resources to secure a land within Makurdi Township for the construction of a Bar center not undermining our heritage donated to us at kilometer-12 Makurdi-Aliade road. That is another milestone that this administration can point out and say by the grace of God we have been able to achieve for the Branch and the Association within the period under review. Now before we move to fusion of the construction of the temporarily Bar center may, we had a ground breaking event, because it is the desire of this administration that we do not just live it a paper work, but to take practical steps to ensure that the place is put to use. We have also established a functional welfare scheme to help members in their financial needs.

THE TRANSMITTER: You have the backing of any stakeholders?

NBA CHAIR: There is an Advisory Committee and leader of the Bar who double as the leader of the whole Benue Bar. I am referring to the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Benue State, Barrister Michael Gusa, by virtue of his constitutional office doubles as the leader of the Bar. We have secured consent from him and also the law personified in Benue State, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Honourable Justice Aondover Kaka’an. They have always supported the vision of this administration.

THE TRANSMITTER: How are you sure that whoever takes over from you will continue with the Secretariat project?

NBA CHAIR: Every lawyer is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, not only from the National body, but our sister bodies scattered across every Association has her Bar center that function as a secretariat, relaxation spot, recreational center, center for research and all it patterns to legal practice. We go for conferences; the whole Nigeria is our practice. In fact, it has been the dream of this branch from the beginning to have this Bar center. We are only privilege to midwife the execution now. The idea precedes us. We are not the originator of the idea. Anybody coming on board as leaders of this branch will be bound to in honour and posterity from all parameters ensure that the Bar center is seen to a conclusion. In fact I will not be surprise if the succeeding administration beats our target. We don’t lose the fear of abandoning it, rather we anticipate that any other administration should surpass our own dreams and bring it to fusion immediately a functional Bar center that befits the status of the metropolitan Bar, I beg to say the best and the biggest in North Central.

THE TRANSMITTER: Can you tell us about the challenges your administration has encountered?

NBA CHAIR: One of the challenges this administration encountered is supervening events, one of those supervening events is the general elections conducted by INEC in 2019. We are active participants, but for the resourcefulness of the present executive committee, activities of the branch would have been suspended. But we appreciate the resourcefulness of the present executive committee and the cooperation of the general congress too. It has been our custom to observe our law week in April of every year. But in 2019, elections were conducted in March and in Benue State we had a re-run. So we could not observe the Law Week in April. We rather shifted it to July. And with the cooperation of members it was a wonderful law week observed under the chairmanship of Associate Professor Magdalene Dura. We got a donation of land from the government, even financial support that we have used to secure alternate Bar center. Our monthly meeting for November 2019 could not hold. We could not form column, reason been that, it coincided with the Supreme Court case for the Governorship elections. Structurally, NBA was in Abuja in November. Another structural problem is this Covid-19 pandemic that has affected the operations of the branch, beginning from March the branch arranged a novelty match with her sister branch NBA Abuja Branch which is on hold. Now to the functional challenges, lack of sufficient funds. I will not say lack of funds, because members have been paying their dues and welfare obligations and we have received free-will donations from the branch members. If this administration is able to gather projected revenue, we would have built a functional bar center. Lack of sufficient funds has prevented us from achieving that. All others are the normal challenges of an administration not meeting our projected expectation. But I request you take the views of our members, they are better off to expose were they think we could serve them better.

THE TRANSMITTER: Do you think the “Big Brothers” in this Bar are doing enough to support developments strides?

NBA CHAIR: Going down memory lane, Benue State is blessed with legal giants. There was a time; Benue state presented to the Nation the Chief Justice of the Federation. Concurrently Benue State presented to the Nation the Attorney General of the Federation, and again Benue State presented to the Nation the Solicitor General, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice. This is the gift of Benue State to the Federation. We must admit that we have received the goodwill of this our heroes. Even presently the Secretary of the State Government is a learned seal, I’m referring to Professor Anthony Ijohor. These are our ambassadors that we run to and through it, they have been supportive, they have not left us. Specifically, may I mention that last year and not just last year, Professor Anthony Ijohor single-handedly sponsored the Law week dinner. Even the last Law week, we had the whooping sum of half a million unannounced. These are the big brotherly roll we enjoy.  We request that you permit me to mention one of our learned seal too, J.S Okutekpa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he has never left this branch behind. He has been supportive too, he has been donating. Even in the Covid-19 crisis, all these elder brothers came on board to offer succor to the younger lawyers. The likes of S.T Hon also donated so that the younger lawyers can partake in palliatives. Associate professor Magdalene Dura equally donated to the plight of the young lawyers.

THE TRANSMITTER: Tell us about mentoring and modeling of young(er) lawyers?

NBA CHAIR: Most young lawyers have reduced mentorship and tutelage to monetary affairs. But this is a profession that prides more on ethics, training, modeling, character and all it partakes to be a lawyer. From the practical point of view, the generation of today has pride money over and above the rudiment of the profession. Pupilage, though not regulated is an indispensable element in the profession. You must understudy a senior. All that it takes for a lawyer to succeed is not taught in Law school. No text book in the world can polish all that it takes for a lawyer to prosper. The elder ones, their offices are always open. I was privilege to receive my mentorship in the office of my senior and principal; he is still my principal till date. Although I have a law office name after me where I preside as the principal partner, I still regard Barrister Anthony Obekpa Sule as my principal. The moment I left NYSC he admitted me into his chambers to observe my pupilage for seven years; I studied under him where I cut my legal teeth as a barrister and solicitor of the supreme court of Nigeria. And I will tell you that the experience has been a whole lot. Apart from the inter-cordial relationship, his chambers are so rich with materials. In fact Anthony Obekpa Sule parades one of the rich and fully equipped libraries in the state. I say in the State without fear of contradiction. What field of practice we are talking about that we will not find authorities on a single subject in his chamber? I was privilege to be exposed to all the rich resources. Above all the etiquette of legal advocacy and brief writing, I am not actually satisfied, but by the grace of God I have all it takes to acquire the wealth legitimately as the opportunity presents itself. In fact, it is their desire that they mentor their prototype, but the young ones, due to the economic harsh realities, are not open to pupilage. I encourage them to bear the seeming temporal harsh nature of the economy and acquire that which will make them masters of themselves at the appropriate time.

THE TRANSMITTER: What is the position of the NBA on the Rule of Law?

NBA CHAIR: In promoting the rule of law, we are not satisfied; we are still in trenches advocating that the rule of law prevails in all the spheres of human existence.

THE TRANSMITTER: Your word to Contestants in the fourth coming NBA Makurdi Bar elections?

NBA CHAIR: My advice to aspirant is that they should prepare to sacrifice, beginning from their time, their own personal wish, because you take oath of office to execute all your actions according to dictates and constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association. It will not always be pleasurable or out of leisure, you have to constrain yourself, you should prepare to make sacrifices and try to ensure that they uphold the tenants of the principles of the rule of law and try to live above board and to inspire confidence to the general members of the association. I also advice the general congress who are the electorates to elect their leaders by their basic conviction as their assessments of their ability of their proposed candidate that will serve not just for primordial motives or objectives alone, but on the conviction that this person we are voting into this office is he or she capable of piloting the affairs of the congress.