I am constrained to offer a response to this maliciously toned vitriolic diatribe, titled as hereinabove referred, by one George Fortune Igbikikunor, Esq.

Ordinarily, I would not have wasted a moment’s thought on the said writing, but the quantum of misrepresented facts in the said utterly vilifying piece, contrasts my knowledge of political history within the NBA and EBF, coupled with the fact that if I fail to respond to this mischievous piece, the writer would have successfully rewritten my own CV as well (this I’ll explain as we progress).

As a committed member of the EBF and having served the NBA in various capacities, I felt a sense of duty, to assist in putting the records in their proper perspectives and disabuse the minds of the few gullible young lawyers from Mr. Fortune’s false and concocted publication. Therefore, for posterity sake and for the sake of unity within the EBF, I respond as follows:

*1* The writer, out of sheer ignorance, did assert and argue that since Anambra has produced NBA General Secretaries in the past (recent of which being 2012 and 2014 elections, wherein Emeka Obegolu and Mazi Afam Osigwe were respectively elected), that EBF ought to foreclose aspirants of Anambra origin from contesting the forthcoming NBA General Elections and cede/zone the position to the Akwa/Cross Section of the EBF. He proceeded to accuse the leadership of EBF of bias, for allowing all five aspirants to run.

2. For the benefit of hindsight, and for a better education of the writer, the office of NBA GS has never been zoned in the NBA history before the 2015 NBA Constitution, wherein it was introduced. Prior to this period, zoning in the NBA constitution was only for the office of the President. It may interest Mr. Fortune, who claims to know NBA and EBF history more than any other, to NOTE that now is the first time since the 2015 Constitution, that the office of GS is being zoned to the East in line with the traditional NBA rotation arrangement, having gone to the West in 2016 – 2018 (Isiaka Abiola Olagunju) and currently North, 2018 – 2020 (Jonathan Taidi). *It is settled that from 31st August 2020 to 31st August 2022, an easterner would occupy that exalted seat. Who that is/would be? only GOD knows for now.*

3. The EBF leadership in their fine wisdom at a meeting in Owerri, decided to allow *all aspirants for the office of GS* to go to the NBA polls, since the office is zoned to the east for the first time, PROVIDED that whoever emerges winner would be seen to have taken the slot of his/her zone, and the office would go to the other zone when next it rotates to the east. This position was unanimously accepted by all at the EBF general meeting, including Mr. Fortune, who was also in attendance at that 21st of March 2020 meeting at Owerri. I dare him to prove me wrong on this.

4. The writer made a whole lot of irreconcilable fuss about her preferred aspirant, Mrs. Joyce Oduah, and why EBF should adopt her and jettison the rest aspirants. In one breath, he admits that EBF is divided into two blocs, the 5 eastern states and the 4 south south states (Rivers, Bayelsa, Crossriver and Akwaibom). In another breath, he said the GS position should be zoned to Akwa/Cross, where he claims, albeit with some equivocation, his candidate originates from. One now wonders, how many blocs are there in the EBF? Curiously, the writer must have forgotten that there is also a GS candidate from Bayelsa State.

5. The writer’s agitation that the GS position this time be zoned to the Akwa/Cross is neither here nor there. It is rather non sequitur. It is ethnic sentiments taken too far. Needless I remind the writer that the Current NBA President is from Akwa/Cross (how he emerged against an adopted candidate of the EBF from the East is a story for another day). The GS position is another big office coming to the EBF since after the last elections that brought upon the EBF, an unsavory situation. *Where in this permutation, is the injustice the writer seeks to address? Can it be said to be a case of “If we can’t have it, let’s pull them down”? No nau!*

If the writer is honest in talking about equity and fairness, then any Akwa/Cross aspirant ought to cede the GS position this time to the east, to balance the equation a little bit. We have gone past this phase anyways, and I stand by the EBF decision as herein before reported.

6. The writer, in his glaring bias and beclouded by political and ethnic sentiments, made demeaning remarks against the other GS aspirants, impugned and vilified their personalities, while at the same time, lavishly extolled her preferred candidate and campaigned vigorously for her in that poorly dictioned article. He however forgot in a haste that her preferred candidate, Mrs. Joyce Oduah may also not be deserving of EBF adoption, having gone against the decision of the Forum in 2014, thereby in breach of EBF constitution. Let me remind the writer how it all happened, and I dare him to counter my facts.
In 2014, the EBF, in her usual tradition, aimed at ensuring true unity in diversity, called for a mock election to adopt a single candidate for the office of GS to compete with the other candidates from the other regions then. The EBF Council of elders voted to adopt one of Mazi Afam Osigwe, Barth Okoye and Joyce Oduah as the Forum’s sole candidate for the office of the GS of NBA, 2014-2016. Joyce Oduah lost the said election to the learned Mazi Afam Osigwe, but contrary to the collective decision of the EBF, and in defiance to her own bond, a letter of allegiance she personally signed to be bound by the decision of the Forum, she went astray in total disobedience to the EBF elders and continued her campaigns. But upon envisioning her probable defeat in the said election, she made a U-turn, pulled out of the race, and to the shock of all of us, threw her weight behind a candidate from the North, Mr. Reuben James (now of blessed memory) against the EBF adopted candidate, Mazi Afam Osigwe. I seldom speak, but my facts are incontrovertible when I do, This is because i do not speak without having my facts first, neither do I write to get a pat on the back by any aspirant. I am making this disclosure because I have equally seen publications in the recent past where the said aspirant claimed she stepped down for Afam Osigwe in 2014. That is not true please. That’s an attempt on her part to twist facts, whip up sentiments and curry undue political favour from unsuspecting electorates. That style of politics is condemnable. The present publication by Mr. Fortune is another of such unholy gimmicks, employed to hoodwink lawyers with damningly misrepresented facts, just to win Bar elections. Unfortunately for the writer and his payer, I have refused to let this slide this time.

7. In the diatribe, the writer
singled out one of the GS aspirants, Okey Ohagba Esq., with open disdain, to stress a point, but ended up exposing more, his dearth of knowledge of NBA political history, and in a bid to cover this ineptitude, he fabricated facts from the dungeons of his imagination in a desperate attempt to justify falsehood and garner more support for his preferred candidate. He alleged that Mr. Ohagba served as 2nd Assistant Secretary between 2014-2016 under President Augustine Alegeh, SAN. That is not correct please. This is what I refer to as an attempt at rewriting my CV, at the beginning of this rejoinder.

8. In specific response to that misleading information, I can only inform the uncannily ‘well informed’ writer that my very self, ADIMABUA EPHRAIM NWAEKE served as the NBA 2ND ASSISTANT SECRETARY under Augustine Alegeh, SAN (2014 – 2016). The records are there to check, Mr Fortune. And be Ye further informed that Mr. Ohagba never served in that EXCO, in whatsoever capacity, with us. Pls do not rewrite my CV for the sake of NBA politics. The writer, I’m sure would call himself to order and tender apology where necessary when he confirms this information.

Finally, having set the facts straight, there is a pertinent need for the EBF leadership to call this writer to order. This can not be mistaken to be an act of learning writing skills, nor triggered by Covid-19 lockdown boredomness. It is an orchestrated plan by the writer further disintegrate the EBF along ethnic lines.
We need to unite more to uplift the EBF. Mr. Fortune, you are free to quit the Forum if you feel your whims are not being met.

LONG LIVE THE EBF
LONG LIVE NBA

Adimabua Ephraim Nwaeke
NBA 2nd Assistant Secretary, 2014 – 2016.