NBA president begins reconciliation efforts to unite Bar - Punch Newspapers

The Nigerian Bar Association President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya first day in office...Photo Credit: Facebook/ Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), has pledged to unite the Bar, saying her administration would work to move beyond the divisions that characterised the NBA presidential election. She was responding to questions regarding perceived regional polarisation within the Bar following the national election, specifically concerning factions within Egbe Amofin in the South-West. Badejo-Okusanya, who spoke in a brief interview with The PUNCH on Saturday, said she had already begun engaging elders in the Western Region as part of efforts to build a unified Bar. She said, “I have no desire to be President of only people that supported me. I am President of the entire Bar, and I want to build a unified Bar, and I’ve already started working towards that. “And by the grace of God, before very long, we would have put all that behind us. It’s already happening.” The NBA president said her administration’s programmes would be anchored on the “Members First” theme contained in her manifesto, with emphasis on improving lawyers’ ability to earn, live and practise better.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google She said the administration would not attempt to do everything but would instead focus on laying the foundation for a member-oriented association. “In my manifesto, as you said, not that I promised a lot of things, everything centres around one theme: members first. “Simply put, what that means is, we want to introduce and establish programmes that will help lawyers to earn better, live better, and practice better. That’s the foundation of everything we’re going to do. “We don’t want to do everything. Just to lay the foundation for the NBA to rejig itself into a member-oriented association wherein everything that the NBA does is geared towards how it can help members earn better, live better, and practise better.” Badejo-Okusanya also clarified reports concerning her recent meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, over the recording of police officers while performing their duties. 2027: IG promises peaceful, orderly elections Alumni honour IG Disu with lifetime award Lagos school alumni honours IG with lifetime achievement award She said her comments on the issue were made before Disu spoke and were not a response to the IGP’s position. “First of all, the way it was reported was wrong. I spoke before the IG. I wasn’t responding to what the IG said,” she said. According to her, her position was that accountability could benefit both members of the public and police officers, particularly through the use of body cameras. “I was just talking about the fact that accountability helps all of us, including the police officers. Because when police officers, for example, are wearing body cameras, then they will be conscious and they will act better,” she said. However, she acknowledged the IGP’s concern over the abuse of the right to record police officers. “But the IG made a very good point. Just because there is a judgment that allows citizens to video policemen in the exercise of their duties, some people have abused it. “They will now be videoing policemen wherever they are; it is wrong, and I made that point there that day,” she said. Badejo-Okusanya said the NBA would continue to engage stakeholders as she works to address divisions within the association. She added that her administration was committed to ensuring that its focus remained on the interests and welfare of lawyers. “That’s what lawyers can expect from our administration in a definite direction towards helping members earn better, live better, and practice better,” she said. Onozure Dania Onozure is a correspondent of The PUNCH on the judiciary beat. She has over a decade experience covering criminal and civil matters from the magistrate to the appellate courts. She’s a graduate of Political Science

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