Imo State Government has condemned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for “hastily taking sides without diligent investigation” in the matter between it and a former Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, in a statement described as unfortunate and unprofessional the attack on the government by NBA, Imo State branch without recourse to the facts of the matter.
The Commissioner who accused the State Chairman of NBA, Barr. J. I. Ogamba, of being an interested party since he is the lawyer to Zenith Bank said he has been heavily compromised.
According to him, the unilateral action of the NBA Chairman in issuing a statement, through his secretary condemning the arrest of some staff of the industrial court, is a clear testimony of abuse of office.
He said the fact that the Chairman has a personal interest in the matter obfuscated his impartial consideration of the relevant issues that led to the arrest and release of the said staff and the injunction obtained by the government against some banks on Friday, June 3.
“First of all, we are yet to hear of where NBA met as a body and resolved to issue such a weighty statement that borders on security and the powers of the police to maintain law and order. Second, the injunction obtained by government has nothing to do with the Madumere case. So the question of courts of coordinate powers does not arise,” Emelumba said.
He said if NBA had intervened as an impartial arbiter, it would have easily found out that the police effected the arrest of the staff of the Industrial Court when it was discovered that neither the Imo State Police Command nor Zone 9 was aware of those policemen who sealed Zenith Bank on Wednesday, June 1.
“But because the chairman has vested interest he railroaded a few members of NBA to attack an innocent government which crime was to stop anarchy being enthroned in the state,” he said.
The Commissioner advised members of the NBA in the state to be circumspect so as to distinguish between a personal war of vendetta and representing public interest.
He assured that the governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, still holds the judiciary in high esteem and will never engage in any act to undermine its sanctity.
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