Eight NBA chairmen in Rivers State have condemned a query issued to Port Harcourt Branch Chairperson, Mrs. Cordelia Eke, calling it an intimidation tactic.
The State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), had through the Ministry of Justice, accused Eke of misconduct over her involvement in a joint communique that criticised government actions in Rivers State.
The query, dated April 25 and signed by Director of Administration, Ebiriemg Deresima, alleged that Eke’s actions contravened public service rules, citing her role as a civil servant in the state ministry.
However, in a joint press briefing held in Port Harcourt, the NBA branch leaders insisted that Eke acted in her capacity as an elected NBA official and not as a government employee.
Signatories to the statement include Dr Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire (Ahoada), Simple Dioha (Isiokpo), Abiye Abo (Degema), Dr. N. A. Duson (Bori), and Dr. Celestine Nwankwo (Okehi).
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They argued that the communique referenced was a product of collective deliberation and reflected the agreed stance of all NBA branches in the state, aligned with the national body led by Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The chairmen described the query as an attempt to silence dissent, erode civil liberties, and suppress the legal community’s voice against what they termed “executive rascality.”
They warned that efforts to intimidate the Port Harcourt chair or any member of the legal profession in the state would be strongly resisted.
“As watchdog of society, it is our duty to speak truth to authority. We cannot be intimidated out of this responsibility,” the statement read.
The group demanded the immediate withdrawal of the query and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding democratic norms and the rule of law in Rivers State.
Punch.
