March 29, 2024

Eti-osa Bar Forum to Hold Special Virtual Monthly Meeting, Condemns NBA Lagos Branch Chairman’s ‘Derogatory’ Letter to Chief Judge of Lagos State


The Eti-Osa Bar Forum is set to hold a special virtual monthly meeting and Knowledge Sharing Webinar on Tuesday, 22nd September, 2020, to hold via Zoom with a Physical Watch Party at the Nigerian Bar Association Office, Christopher Segun Courthouse by 2pm.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of an Emergency Online Executive Committee Meeting held on 19th September, 2020 and signed by Oladotun Hassan and Ayo Ademiluyi, Chairman and Secretary of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum respectively.

The Special Virtual Monthly Meeting and Webinar is tagged as such as it will be holding out of the statutory day of Meeting of the Forum which is second Tuesday of every month. The Knowledge Sharing Webinar organised by the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Forum will have Dr. Akayah and Professor A.O. Sanni of the Commercial and Industrial Law Department of the Faculty of Law as Lead Speaker and Chair of Session respectively.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olumide Akpata is also expected as Special Guest of Honour.

It will be recalled that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum had submitted a Letter of Reaffirmation of Application for NBA Eti-Osa Branch through the General Secretary to the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, in compliance with the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association (2015 as amended).

In a related development, the Emergency Executive Committee Meeting condemns in totality a letter circulating on social media , purportedly signed by the Chairman and Assistant Secretary of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yemi Akangbe and Ifeoma Ben respectively dated 7th September, 2020, and addressed to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Honourable Justice Kazeem Alogba, headed “Disclaimer on the activities of Eti-Osa Bar Forum” where in it was stated that
“ The forum has been carrying out activities and misleading the general public into believing that it is a recognized group or forum existing within the NBA and that it’s activities are duly recognized. Such activities include issuing Press Releases , Visits to Principal members of the Lagos Judiciary, holding meetings at the NBA office to mention but a few, as a forum within the NBA”

While it is a trite principle of law that every individual enjoys the fundamental right to freedom of Association, it is worrisome that a Chairman of a significant Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association like Lagos Branch , popularly known as Lagos Branch will display ignorance of same. It is also a grand display of naivety of the traditions of the Nigerian Bar Association and how new Branches of the Association are formed for Mr. Akangbe to claim that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum is claiming “recognition” as a “Forum” or ” group” within the Nigerian Bar Association.

The said letter also went further to assert that the “NBA has at it’s National Executive Committee meeting held on the 12th of March, 2020, resolved that it does not recognize any forum that is not functioning in accordance with the approval or consent of a branch'”

This is nothing but distortion of facts. The said NBA NEC Resolution is to the effect that use of NBA logo should not be used by Fora that are not yet full organs of the Association. In compliance with this NBA NEC Resolution, the Eti-Osa Bar Forum, known previously as the “NBA Lekki Forum” dropped the nomeclature and use of NBA logo. It has its distinct logo and name.

Mr. Akangbe further asserted in the letter that “ We hereby state categorically that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum is not recognized by the Nigerian Bar Association or the Lagos Branch or any other branch within the Nigerian Bar Association.”

It is quite befuddling that a legal practitioner of the stature of the Mr. Yemi Akangba would state that a group of lawyers would require the recognition of the Nigerian Bar Association or the Lagos Branch there of before exercising their right to freedom of Association.

The jaw-breaking juvenility of Mr. Akangbe is further revealed when he threatened to report the forum and ” its self acclaimed Chairman Mr. Dotun Hassan and Secretary, Ayo Ademiluyi ” to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if it does not desist from its current act of deception. What offence will Mr. Yemi Akangbe ask the Legal Practitioners ‘ Disciplinary Committee to punish the duo for? For exercising their fundamental right to Association?

It is important to state that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum has series of educative WhatsApp groups which draw lawyers from within and outside the Branches of the NBA in Lagos State. Will it not shock anyone that Mr. Yemi Akangbe is also on one of the WhatsApp platforms! Will he not also be part of the Defendants in the Disciplinary matter against the leaders of Eti-Osa Bar Forum?

What is clear is that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum is not in competition with any Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association. In actual terms, it has always reached out to the Nigerian Bar Association both nationally and to the local Branches for collaboration.

For instance, the extant application for the Eti-Osa Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association is supported by two Letters of Recommendation by Ikorodu and Badagry Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Instead of dissipating energy on mudslinging, the Emergency Executive Committee of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum has constituted a Special Harmonisation Committee to reach out to NBA Lagos Branch and other Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association within Lagos State on the need for a new Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association in Eti-Osa Judicial Division.

Equally, as against the insinuation canvassed by Mr. Akangbe in his letter to the Chief Judge that the Christopher Segun Courthouse is under Lagos Division, there is a Eti-Osa Judicial Division in place with Honourable Justice Obadina as Adminstrative Judge . Mr. Akangbe will need to consult the Posting of Judges for 2020/2021 New Legal Year by the Chief Judge.

On the use of the Nigerian Bar Association Lawyers’ Bay and Office at the Christopher Segun Courthouse by the Eti-Osa Bar Forum, what group of persons does Mr. Akangbe thinks should make use of the Bay and Office ? Carpenters and Tailors?

The Meeting also frowned at a Press Statement titled “NBA LAGOS BRANCH DISOWNS ETI-OSA BAR FORUM; CAUTIONS DOTUN HASSAN ESQ OF MISLEADING LAWYERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC”. Apart from the misleading title that suggest that the position is a Resolution of a General Meeting of the NBA Lagos Branch when in true fact it is an action of its Branch officers,
the statement stated that “the Chairman of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr. Yemi Akangbe has issued a warning to Mr. Dotun Hassan, to desist from misleading members of the Public as the Eti-Osa Bar Forum which he purports to lead is not recognized by the Nigerian Bar Association and the Lagos Branch”. “Warning” on what authority? Is Mr. Akangbe a Court of law that can make orders declaring some persons as “persona non grata”

The statement also claimed that “in a similar move, the Epe branch of the NBA had written to the Chief Judge of Lagos State disowning the self acclaimed Eti-Osa Bar Forum and its Chairman Mr. Dotun Hassan.”

What is misleading from this assertion is that the General Meeting of Epe Branch so resolved to that effect. However, a close perusal of the purported Epe Branch reveal that it was signed by Mr. A. S. Abimbola , the immediate past Chairman of NBA Epe Branch, who during his tenure disparaged the leaders of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum by writing letters derogating their personalities to the Chief Judge, just as Mr. Akangbe is doing, at the twilight of his tenure. The malicious efforts failed to yield fruits as the Chief Judge discountenanced same and saw the leadership of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum in His Lordship’s Chambers, all of which forms part of the efforts which led to the commissioning of the High Court Building.

The statement went on to say that “Investigation reveals that Mr. Oladotun Hassan and Ayo Ademiluyi insisted on creating a parallel Lawyers Forum regardless of the existence of the Eti-Osa Lawyers Forum which predates their admission to the Bar, all in a bid to canvass and take control of a new branch which they anticipate…Mr. Dotun Hassan has been described as a self acclaimed Politician who thrives on sensationalism and propaganda as against legal practice which he has had no business with since he was called to the Bar. He thrives solely on courting controversies and conflicts as a major occupation”.

These are highly libelous statements and we are quick to believe that the promoters of the “Eti-Osa Lawyers’ Forum”, a group which has been authoring all sorts of mudslinging statements against the leaders of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum since they came to public reckoning in recent period.

What does the promoters of Eti-Osa Lawyers Forum really want? Do they want to be part of the NBA Eti-Osa Branch that the Eti-Osa Bar Forum is advocating for or they want to be perpetual purveyors of attacks on personalities?

The focus of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum is to push for the creation of the NBA Eti-Osa Branch by the national leadership of the NBA. When the NBA Eti-Osa Branch is finally set up all lawyers, both in Eti-Osa Lawyers Forum and Eti-Osa Bar Forum will have equal opportunity to vie for elective positions of their choice, once they are qualified. Why the unnecessary acrimony?

The Forum calls on the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olumide Akpata to call the Chairman of Lagos Branch and authors of the libelous and acrimonious statements to order in the interest of peace and progress in the Bar.

The Meeting also called on the Governor of Lagos State to embark on the construction of alternative routes and Car Park for both lawyers and litigants at the Christopher Segun Courthouse, Ajah due to the regular vehicular congestion on the road leading to the courthouse.


NBA Ikorodu Branch’s Letter recommending Eti-Osa Bar Forum to NBA Secretariat
Letter of recommendation from NBA Badagry Branch to the Nigerian Bar Association National Secretariat
Letter of the Chief Judge of Lagos State to the Eti-Osa Bar Forum affirming the unwavering commitment to create Eti-Osa Judicial Division
Evidence: Eti-Osa Judicial Division is separate and distinct from Lagos Judicial Division

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