At
the Annual General Meeting of the Young Lawyers’ Forum summoned by the
Wada
Ahmed Wada led governing council of the Young Lawyers’ Forum slated
for
3pm the members of the Young Lawyers’ Forum gathered at the venue and
waited
for about 2hours. There was no communication from the Executives or
any
of the members of the Governing Council as to the position of the AGM.
At
about 5pm it became obvious that the Chairman, Wada A. Wada and his team
had
deliberately boycotted the meeting and the 13 Branch Chairmen present
moved
that the meeting be called to order.
Consequently,
Mr. Richarmond O. Natha-Alade, the Branch Chairman of the
Young
Lawyers’ Forum, Ibadan Branch, drew the attention of the members to
Article
17 of the Nigeria Bar Association Uniform Bye Law which empowers the
AGM
to appoint a member to act in the absence of the Chairman or the
Secretary
or any member of the Governing Council of the YLF.
Pursuant
to the above provision and in strict compliance with the NBA
Constitution,
Mr. Bolaji Adeoye, the Branch Secretary of YLF, Ibadan Branch,
thereafter
moved a motion that Mr. Charles Ajiboye of the Ikeja Branch be
appointed
to preside as the Chairman at the meeting. Mr. Ageherario Emamanuel
of
Warri Branch seconded the motion moved by Mr. Bolaji Adeoye following
which
the AGM resolved and appointed the said Charles Ajiboye as the Chairman
while
Mr. Oghenevwarhe Ohwonohwo, Chairman Efurun Branch was equally
appointed
as the secretary for the purpose of the meeting.
It
was proposed and resolved by a motion moved by Joseph Asawa of Portharcourt
and
supported by Mr. Paul, the Chairman of Katsina Branch YLF, that
the
meeting proceeded as the Annual General Meeting of the Young Lawyers
Forum.
However, Mr. Okon of Epe Branch moved a counter motion that the
meeting
should proceed as a mere meeting of members rather than as AGM
which
was supported by Ezekiel Olugbenga.
To
reach a resolution, a vote was taken in which 64 persons voted in support
that
the meeting be constituted as the AGM of the Young Lawyers Forum while
only
2 persons voted in support of the counter motion that it be a mere meeting.
Accordingly,
the meeting commenced as the AGM of the YLF following which Mr.
Chairman
proposed the Agenda for the AGM for adoption as follows:
1.
Opening Prayer
2.
Constitutional Review Committee
3.
Succession Plan of Executives
4.
AOB
5.
Adjournment
6.
Closing Prayer.
Mr.
Jude Tejiri of Oleh Branch moved for the adoption of the Agenda and was
seconded
by Anderson Djegbada of Warri Branch. The Agenda was thereafter
adopted.
Constitutional
Review Committee:
Following
an informal meeting of Chairmen of branches the day before with the
National
Executives of YLF wherein it was agreed that the YLF makes
representation
to the Constitution review committee, the house deliberated on
several
areas of concern.
Mr.
Chairman then called for nomination of members to constitute a committee
that
will be charged with the responsibility of drawing up a memorandum to be
sent
to the NBA Constitution Review Committee headed by Mallam Yusuf Ali,
SAN,
to address issues bothering on the welfare of young lawyers and other
areas
of concern in the NBA constitution under review.
The
following persons were nominated and adopted by the AGM as the members
of
the committee and charged with the responsibilities of drawing up a
memorandum
and a proposal to be sent to the NBA constitutional review
committee
within 14days from the day of their appointment. The said appointed
members
are:
1.
Eigbe Alright – Ibadan Branch
2.
Djegbada Anderson – Warri Branch
3.
Lucky Nwosu – Jos Branch
4.
John Afolabi Ogedengbe – Ilorin Branch as chairman of the committee
5.
Wakili Gambo – Gombe Branch
6.
Dogbajale Memunah – Lagos Branch as secretary of the
committee
7.
Benjamin Nwosu
Succession
Plan of the Executives:
At
the deliberations of the above agenda, Mr. Kanu Stephen of the Ibadan
Branch
drew the attention of the AGM to the fact that the tenure of the current
leadership
of the YLF would lapse at the end of July, 2018 and the need to make
provisions
for succession in order not to have a vacuum could not be under
estimated.
The house discussed the need to put the Forum in order and
implement
the NBA constitutional provision for the election of its leaders.
In
his contribution, Mr. Richarmond O. Natha-Alade, of the Ibadan Branch
pointed
out that the AGM, pursuant to Article 17(d) can take far reaching
decisions
including but not limited to the elections of its principal officers and
urged
the AGM to proceed immediately with the elections of its principal officers
in
accordance with the law.
The
house considered the various reactions and thereafter a motion was formally
moved
and seconded by Mr. Kanu Stephen of the Ibadan branch and it was
thereafter
resolved as follows:
1.
That a Vote of No Confidence be passed on the current national leadership of
the
Young Lawyers Forum led by Wada Ahmed Wada for act of gross
misconduct
for their deliberate refusal to participate in the AGM which formed
part
of the Annual Young Lawyers Summit held in Lagos – an AGM they called
for.
2.
That an Electoral Committee be constituted by the AGM to fashion out
modalities
for election into National Executive Offices of the Young Lawyers
Forum.;
3.
That a communiqué be issued to the public and a letter to the Executives of
NBA
regarding the outcome of the AGM.
Vote
of No Confidence:
In
line with the resolution to pass a Vote of No Confidence, several comments
were
taken on the embarrassment and disregard by the Chairman, Wada Ahmed
Wada
and his executives. Actual votes were then taken to formalize the motion
wherein
50 persons voted in support of the Vote of No Confidence while only 1
person
against it. Having taken the votes, Mr. Kanu Stephen moved a formal
motion
for the Vote of No Confidence and seconded by Binta Salam of Lagos
Branch
and a vote of no confidence was thereafter passed. The vote was to the
effect
that they be sanctioned by the National Executives of the NBA for their
irresponsible
actions.
Electoral
Committee:
Pursuant
to a prior resolution that an Electoral Committee be set up, the
presiding
Chairman then called for nominations of persons to be constituted as
members
of the Electoral Committee, following which the following persons were
nominated
and thereafter appointed as members of the Electoral Committee of
the
Young Lawyers’ Forum by the AGM:
1.
Akintunji Akinyemi – Ikeja Branch as chairman of the committee
2.
Chisom Chude – Okah Branch as the Secretary of the Committee
3.
Agherario Emmanuel – Warri Branch
4.
Samuel Okon – Epe Branch
5.
Ggbande Terve Paul – Katsina Branch
The
terms of reference include; to specifically come up with clear guidelines for
the
elections as well as to ensure that the elections are conducted at an Annual
General
Meeting to be held during the 2018 Annual General Conference of the
NBA
before the NBA AGM.
Adjournment:
After
fruitful deliberations, Mr. Samuel Okon of Epe Branch moved for the
adjournment
of the AGM to the Annual General Conference of the NBA but
before
the AGM of the NBA Annual General Conference which was seconded by
Kanu
Stephen.
Closing
Prayer:
The
closing prayer was said by Deliverance Falaye of Ikeja Branch at about 8pm.
Mr.
Charles Ajiboye Mr. Oghenevwarhe Ohwonohwo
Presiding
Chairman Presiding Secretary
Chairman, YLF-Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja, Lagos.
Lead Partner, The Penthouse Solicitors
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