BAR-ADVOCATES NEWS

"MUST NBA's CONSTITUTION BE AMENDED AT EVERY AGC? Olumide Akpata's Amended Constitution of 2021 remains the Best for NBA" Meti M. Ukpeh, Esq., Uyo-based Human Rights Lawyer cautions Assuredly, while I would say it is highly commendable for any association to make improvements on its regulation(s); amidst this, NBA's Constitution amended in 2021 by the Olumide Akpata's led administration which was evidently perfect and admits of little or no amendment, stands as a model or a blueprint that future constitutions of the NBA could be built on even when I strongly hold that the NBA's constitutional amendment should not be a routine job at every AGC.  I have learnt to maintain taciturn, reticence and Olympian aloofness on issues I would ordinarily kick against, but a keen study of the NBA's proposed constitutional amendment, 31/07/2023, has successfully petrified me in eerie and trepidation.  Consequently, a mishmash of this concern includes: 1) T...

"PLEASE, TAKE OVER UYO BAR ELECTIONS TO AVOID BLOODSHED" Meti M.Ukpeh, Esq. Uyo-based Human Rights Lawyer Cries out to  NBA President, Y. C. Maikyau, SAN(OON)  Respectfully sir, rather than the electoral committee headed by the Ekanem Ekanem, Esq.,  to respect and effect the decision of the Branch Appeal Committee(East) delivered on 20/06/2023, the Ekanem Ekanem-led Eleco committee has moved on to publish list of ineligible voters for the elections on the 21/06/2023, but disenfranchised most lawyers(over 400) from voting in the forthcoming elections. This is clearly against the  express, concise, unambiquous and unemotional reading of S.15(1) of the NBA, UNIFIED BYELAW, 2021, the said extraneous and ineligible names published purportedly as voters on 21/06/2023 are unqualified to vote in the forthcoming elections.  Sir, The below are the extraneous names and particulars of the ineligible and/or unqualified voters imported for the elections, viz: Name...

HUMBLE APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT OF NBA, Y. C. MAIKYAU, SAN(OON),  TO SAVE UYO-BAR FROM SELF-EXTINCTION: EKANEM EKANEM - LED ELECTORAL COMMITTEE IN COLLUSION WITH BRANCH CHAIRMAN, EMEMOBONG N. UDOH, ESQ., READY TO STAMPEDE NBA BYE-LAW AND INSTALL UNQUALIFIED CANDIDATE  Per ~ Meti M. Ukpeh, Esq. Uyo-based Human Rights lawyer Conscience stroke: Did you know?  Very humbly Sir, In 2021, noble Snr. Ekanem Ekamem as Eleco chairman screened out the LONE qualified (Postcall) opponent of the current Bar Chairman, Cmr. Ememobong Udoh(Aguda)  for mere incomplete bar attendance  and Cmr. Ememobong Udoh Esq(Aguda)  became the now chairman of Uyo Bar(a process he well benefited)  Now in 2023, against all good conscience and even objection of revered snr Eze Ibe,  Esq my branch chairman OVERRULED and re-appointed Snr. Ekanem Ekanem, Esq as electoral chairman.  Now, Snr. Ekanem Ekanem is shy to disqualify an aspirant who does not even meet up the p...

FATAL OMISSIONS / OVERSIGHT IN THE GUIDLINES OF ELECTORAL COMMITTEE,  UYO-BAR DATED 31/03/2023: By ~ Meti M. Ukpeh, Esq., Uyo-based Human Rights Lawyer Conscience Stroke: _Never forget that the Motto of NBA is to preserve and protect the Rule of Law!!!_ Let's xray the grave omissions hence: 1) The Guideline is NOT predicated on any known law of the NBA Item 1 of the Guidelines reads:  "Pursuant to the provisions of section 16 of Nigerian Bar Association Uniform Byelaw...." Query : NBA BYELAW of which year, no date???_ NOTE : the only known law is the approved  NBA CONST., 2015, amended in 2021 signed by Akpata, 28/10/2021. 2)  Item 7  of the said guidelines does not capture the law in full and is grossly unconstitutional. It also creates room for conjectures against the clear unambiguous provisions of  S. 14 and S. 14(2) of the NBA UNIFIED BYE-LAW, 2021 The said item 7 of the guidelines reads : "A candidate shall not have less than 10years post-...

IKOT EKPENE SEN. DIST. : "Our Senatorial District Cannot Vote for a man who will be just a floor member or "it's our turn" candidate, but a proven voice for our state" Meti Monday Ukpeh Esq., Uyo-based Human Rights Lawyer declares  we need someone that has the voice, not a first-timer  We don't need just a floor member senator  We don't need "it's our turn" candidate  Akpabio will be a senate president  or a majority leader at Senate He ll drag good projects to my Sen. Dist., my state and Nigeria Akpabio today and tomorrow...  I vote persona, not party...  Vote GSM GODSWILL AKPABIO for Ikot Ekpene Sen. Dist.  Efficiency, not mediocrity. 

NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION, ET AL, AN UNNECESSARY SPARE PART IN CHANGE OF NAME: UNTANGLING THE CONUNDRUM, LAW AND PROCEDURE IN CHANGE OF NAME By ~ Meti M. Ukpeh, Esq.            [Ama-Mme Anana-Owo]  ABSTRACT: Verily, it is not a discombobulation, but a sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air, solace and succour that the law, through the judgment of the apex court in the land, has given the perspective and procedure for change of name a facelift. It is a truism that human biosphere recognizes a name as the most cherished identity; hence the law upholds and protects the sanctity of name. Against the hitherto stringent procedures for change of name, the law continues to prescribe and ameliorate the procedure for change of name hitherto obtainable in Nigeria. Hence, one may wish, so long as the wish or intention is legal, to change his/her name for diverse reasons--this could be as a result of marriage, divorce, adoption, extinction of name, professio...

STENOGRAPHY, A JUDGE's DEPENDABLE ALLY IN SPEEDY JUSTICE DISPENSATION: A CALL FOR REFORMS AS AKWA IBOM HIGH COURT COMMENCES NEW LEGAL YEAR By ~ Meti M. Ukpeh, Esq.  INTRODUCTION  The High Court of Akwa Ibom state, a fast-growing state in economy and legal jurisprudence, has just ended its two months vacation and crowned the opening of a new legal year with a two day ceremony which ended on the 13/10/22. There is no doubt that most courts in Nigeria are still religiously tied to using the conventional long hand in recording proceedings in courts. This practice is not pragmatic and susceptible to the mordern digital realities; hence becoming lagging, boring, time-consuming and avoidably, a clog on the wheel of justice. Below will navigate the remedial route, hope and succour that trail the deployment of stenography in our courts.  WHAT IS A STENOGRAPHY?  Loosely put, this is the practice of transcribing speech (primarily for later dictation or testimony), u...