NBA president says he won't resign because of charges

The president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro (SAN), has said he wont resign following charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC announced that Usoro has questions to answer over alleged N1.4bn fraud in connivance with the governor of Akwa Ibom state, Emmanuel Udom.

While addressing newsmen on Saturday, the NBA president said that only the National Working Committee of the NBA can decide whether to remove him from office or not, adding that the committee has adopted his explanation on the allegation during a meeting held on December 6.

He said, "I will not. I consider that it is the national executive committee of the NBA that has the power to decide whether I should remain or not. This matter was presented to the committee. We had a very good and successful meeting and nobody raised the issue in regard to whether I should leave or not."

Usoro maintained his innocence on the charges insisting that the funds received from the Akwa Ibom state government were professional fees paid to Paul Usoro chambers.

"I will be in court on Monday, I have already made that quite clear. Let me emphasise this: I haven't been served. I expect that I will be served.

"But I am completely innocent. I presented the facts, as I know them, in the address that was adopted by the NEC. As I have said, you can read the address and you can pick up the facts from there," he said.

He added that the case was possibly "hyped" barely 48 hours before the NBA's NEC meeting to instigate his removal from office.

Usoro informed that, among other issues deliberated in the NEC meeting, the committee regretted the worsening situation of security in the country which is said to have caused the death of four NBA members across the country in the last three months.

Usoro said the committee called for an end to different forms of harassment meted by law enforcement agencies on lawyers in the course of their duties.

He added that the NBA was planning to visit the Inspector-General of Police on the need to draw protocol for the engagements of police officers with lawyers.

Update

In the sitting on Monday, counsel to the NBA President, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), told the court that his client came to court despite not being served with a chaged sheet.

He added that he was ready to accept the service of the charge sheet in the courtroom.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, however, said he was not in a position to serve the charge sheet on Usoro, as the charge sheet was with the EFCC investigative office.

In his ruling, Justice Hassan adjourned the arraignment till December 18, directing EFCC to ensure the service of charge sheet on Usoro.