Chairmen of the eight Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Rivers State have strongly condemned a recent query directed at the Chairman of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, Cordelia Eke, by the Rivers State Administrator through the Ministry of Justice.
The query, signed by Ebiriemg Deresima, the Director of Administration at the Ministry of Justice and dated April 25, accused Eke of “serious misconduct,” alleging that she co-authored a communiqué criticizing the administration for “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity” and unconstitutional actions, including dismantling democratic institutions and attacking peaceful protesters.
The Administrator alleged that her actions violated the Public Service Rules and were inappropriate for a civil servant.
In a joint press statement issued on Monday, the NBA branch chairmen denounced the allegations as an attempt to intimidate Mrs. Eke and silence dissent among legal professionals in the state. They clarified that Eke did not issue the contentious communiqué as a civil servant but rather in her capacity as the elected chairman of the Port Harcourt Branch, in accordance with her constitutional mandate within the NBA.
The chairmen emphasized that their collective statements, including the one referenced from April 9, were made after formal deliberations within the association and represented the unified position of all NBA branches in Rivers State.
They also highlighted that their stance aligns with that of the NBA at the national level, as expressed by the Association’s President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The NBA chairmen further criticized the query as part of a broader agenda by the Sole Administrator to suppress free speech and undermine democratic norms under the pretense of maintaining peace. They reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the rule of law and resisting intimidation.
“The query to our brother Chairman is nothing but a ploy by which the Sole Administrator seeks to intimidate her into discontinuing her functions and duties as Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch, and an attempt to intimidate lawyers in Rivers State and by extension other good people of Rivers State from standing up and speaking against executive rascality and impunity,” they stated.
“It must be noted that the main objective of the Nigerian Bar Association is the promotion of the rule of law thus, as watchdog of the society, it is our duty to speak truth to authority on behalf of lawyers and the general public and cannot be intimidated to shy away from this sacred responsibility.
“Consequently, we, the Chairmen of NBA Branches in Rivers State, condemn in its entirety the query issued to our Brother Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch and demand an immediate withdrawal of the same.
“We consider the issuance of this query to our brother Chairman as an unfortunate act the Sole Administrator has decided to use to suppress freedom of speech and constitutional rights of the good people of Rivers State against his various incidences of dismantling of peaceful democratic institutions already in existence in Rivers State and other acts and actions capable of causing breach of peace instead of maintaining the peace which was the primary claim for his appointment as Sole Administrator in Rivers State. We condemn in its entirety the query issued to our colleague and demand its immediate withdrawal,” they added.
The statement was signed by Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire, Chairman, Ahoada Branch; Simple Dioha, Esq., Chairman, Isiokpo Branch; Abiye Abo, Esq., Chairman, Degema Branch; Dr. N. A. Duson, Chairman, Bori Branch; and Dr. Celestine Nwankwo, Chairman, Okehi Branch.
They reaffirmed their commitment to resisting any harassment or persecution targeting NBA leadership, lawyers, or the wider public in Rivers State.