The Former Chairman of the NBA Nnewi Branch, Mr. P.C. Ugwuanyi Esq, has dragged the current chairman of the branch, Mr. Kingsley Awuka to Court over the issuance of certificates of excellent service to the members of the branch’s 2020 Election Committee who are also the defendants in the suit.

The former chairman is praying the court to declare as invalid and a nullity the Certificates of Excellent Service bestowed on the 2020 electoral committee members, as their actions show they were not deserving of the certificates, especially in light of the report of the branch election as reported by the committee.

In a suit before the Anambra State High Court, sitting at Nnewi, with suit number, HN/10/2021, other defendants include, Chikodili Nwogugu Esq, T.O. Igwegbe Esq, J.N. Obi Esq, Ebere A. Okoye-Igwilo Esq, and U.C. Ezugha Esq as 2nd to 6th defendants respectively.

According to the Affidavit setting out the facts relied upon, the plaintiff stated that the current chairman, during the branch’s end of the year dinner held on the 18th day of December 2020 issued Certificates of Excellent Service to each of the 2nd to the 6th defendants and informed members of the branch and invited guests that the certificates given to the above-mentioned defendants were in reward to them for conducting the said Nnewi branch election held on the 26th June, 2020.

The Plaintiff via his said affidavit maintained that paragraph 1.08 of the report of the election committee showed that the provisions of the Uniform Bye-Law of NBA was compromised by the electoral committee in the course of conducting the NBA Nnewi election held on 26th day of June, 2020.

The plaintiff via the said affidavit states thus:

That in paragraph 1.08 of the said report presented by the 2nd to the 5th Defendants, they confirmed or admitted that the said voters list used in the said 2020 election of the Nnewi branch held on the 26th June, 2020, was padded with names of voters who were not qualified to vote.

” That subsequently, in view of the fact that the said certificates of Excellent Service presented to the Defendants(who confirmed that the provision of the NBA’s Uniform Bye-Law were fraudulently compromised in the course of conducting the 2020 election) by the 1st Defendant would promote acts of recklessness and criminality and discourage transparency and diligence amongst members of the NBA Nnewi branch, I wrote a letter to the 1st Defendant demanding that the said Certificates of Excellent Service should be withdrawn from the 2nd to 6th Defendants.

“That The 1st Defendant who received the said letter refused to withdraw the said certificates from the Defendants.

“That the 1st Defendant never sought the consent or approval of the General Meeting of the NBA Nnewi branch before he gave the said Certificates to each of the 2nd to 6th Defendants on the said 18th day of December 2020 on behalf of the NBA Nnewi branch.

“That issues concerning the said certificates given or presented to the Defendants were never discussed at any of the General meetings of NBA Nnewi branch.

“That the said certificates given or presented to the 2nd to the 6th Defendants by the 1st defendant on behalf of the branch are in breach of the objectives or objects of the various branches of the Nigerian Bar Association including Nnewi branch as contained in section 2(2) (13) and (14) of the Uniform Bye-Law of the NBA 2015 (as amended).

The plaintiff, therefore, sought amongst other reliefs as follow :

A declaration that in view of the content of paragraph 1.08 of the report captioned ‘The Report of The NBA Nnewi Branch General Election Held on the 26th of June 2020’ presented to the General Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association Nnewi branch by the 2nd to 6th defendants [through the 2nd and 5th defendants], the 2nd to 6th defendants compromised the provision of section 16(1) of the third schedule of the Uniform Bye-Law of the Nigerian Bar Association in the course of conducting the NBA Nnewi Branch’s election held on the 26th day of June 2020.

A declaration that in view of the content of paragraph 1.08 of the report captioned ‘The Report of The NBA Nnewi Branch General Election Held on the 26th of June 2020’presented to the General Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association Nnewi branch by the 2nd to 6th defendants [through the 2nd and 5th defendants], the 2nd to 6th Defendants betrayed the trust bestowed on them by the members of the Nigerian Bar Association Nnewi branch in the course of conducting the election held on the 26th June, 2020 on behalf of the branch and ought not to have been given or presented with Certificates of Excellent Service by the 1st Defendant on the 18th December, 2020, or any other day.

It’s noteworthy that the said paragraph 1.08 of the report of the said electoral committee (as filed along other court processes) indicated that contrary to the instruction given to the secretary of the electoral committee to publish only the names of those eligible to vote in the branch election, the secretary included in his publication names of those who were ineligible to vote. The report indicates that the Secretary of the committee later tendered apologies to the members of the electoral committee.

According to the CTC of the court process sighted by Legaldeskng the plaintiff is therefore seeking to annul the certificates issued to the 2nd to the 6th Defendants by the 1st Defendant for being unmerited and their actions outrightly in contravention of the NBA Uniform Bye-Law, and which according to him would in future encourage acts of criminality and indiscipline amongst members of NBA Nnewi branch.