NBA Rivers Chairmen have rejected a controversial query issued to the Port Harcourt branch leader. The full story exposes tensions, accusations, and bold reactions.
The legal community in Rivers State has been thrown into a state of agitation following a controversial query issued to the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt Branch, Cordelia Eke. The query, signed by the Director of Administration at the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Ebiriemg Deresima, and dated April 25, has sparked outrage among lawyers who see it as a calculated attempt to suppress the voice of the NBA and intimidate its leadership.
Eke was accused of “serious misconduct” for allegedly co-authoring a communique that condemned the Rivers State administration for what it described as “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity.” The communique had specifically criticised the government’s actions, including the dismantling of democratic institutions and attacks on peaceful protesters. According to the Ministry, her conduct contravened the Public Service Rules and was considered unbecoming of a civil servant.
However, the backlash was swift and unequivocal.
In a strongly worded joint press statement issued on Monday, the chairmen of eight NBA branches across Rivers State rejected the query and described the allegations against Eke as baseless, vindictive, and politically motivated. They maintained that the communique in question was not authored by Eke in her capacity as a civil servant but in her legitimate role as the elected Chairman of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch—a position that empowers her to speak on matters affecting the rule of law and democratic governance.
The statement was signed by notable legal figures, including Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire (Ahoada Branch), Simple Dioha, Esq. (Isiokpo Branch), Abiye Abo, Esq. (Degema Branch), Dr. N. A. Duson (Bori Branch), and Dr. Celestine Nwankwo (Okehi Branch), among others.
According to them, the communique dated April 9 was the outcome of formal and collective deliberations by all NBA branches in the state and reflects the official position of the association at both state and national levels. They cited that the President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, had previously echoed similar sentiments, further debunking the notion that the communique was a personal or isolated statement by Eke.
They argued that the query is part of a wider campaign by the Sole Administrator to gag the legal community and suppress freedom of speech in Rivers State. “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,” the statement said.
They also warned that such tactics are not only unconstitutional but dangerous, as they target voices that are constitutionally mandated to speak truth to power. “We consider the issuance of this query as an unfortunate act by the Sole Administrator to suppress the constitutional rights of Rivers people. This action, if left unchallenged, could encourage further executive recklessness and erode the foundational principles of democracy and justice,” they added.
The statement went further to highlight the role of the NBA as the watchdog of society. “The main objective of the Nigerian Bar Association is the promotion of the rule of law. As such, we have a sacred duty to speak truth to authority and cannot be intimidated into abandoning this responsibility,” the statement read.
The chairmen reaffirmed their commitment to resist any form of persecution targeted at NBA members or the wider public. They called on the Rivers State government to immediately withdraw the query and desist from future actions that undermine the integrity and independence of the legal profession.
This development adds fuel to the already tense atmosphere in Rivers State, where political and legal institutions are increasingly at odds with the appointed Sole Administrator, whose legitimacy and methods have come under scrutiny in recent times.
As the NBA stands firm, all eyes are now on the Rivers State Government—whether it will escalate the standoff or heed the legal community’s call for restraint and constitutional order.
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