Newly elected Chairman of the Port Harcourt branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barr. Mrs.Cordelia Uwuma Eke has unfolded the agenda of the new leadership of the branch.
The NBA Chairman in a chat with newsmen at the burial ceremony of Late Barr.Mrs. Millicent Ihunda Emenike-Worlu on Saturday in Port Harcourt, said the NBA Port Harcourt branch under her leadership will pay greater attention to the training and grooming of young lawyers to prepare and equip them with the requisite knowledge and capacity to excel in the legal profession.
According to the NBA Chairman, the future of Nigerian Bar Association depends on the quality of young lawyers in the profession, adding that with proper guidance, mentoring and grooming of the younger lawyers, the nation will have responsible and dependable senior lawyers in the future.
“The past NBA administration has tried their best.What I intend to do is to look at the areas they may have not done well and make the necessary improvements. Primarily, we intend to unite and bring everybody together. We have to improve the standard of practice of lawyers and the image of the NBA. So my agenda is to rebuild the friendship once more in line with our slogan, ‘one irrepressible Bar’ so that everybody will be proud of what we are doing in the branch”, she stated.
Mrs. Eke who disclosed that the Port Harcourt branch of the NBA is the 4th largest branch in country and the largest in the East with over 7000 lawyers and more than 20 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), said her leadership will tap into the resources in the branch to remain the pace setter in the Eastern area of the association.
While acknowledging the inherent flaws in the nation’s Justice delivery systems, the NBA Chairman stated that the body will do its best to remedy the situation, pointing out that the observable flaws were part of the general imperfections of the Nigerian system. We know we have some faults and we will do our best to see how we can contribute to make it better. We want speedy and seamless dispensation of Justice in the country”.
Mrs. Eke described her emergence as the first female Chairman of Port Harcourt NBA as really humbling and a great honour but stated that she had prepared herself for the task ahead having held several positions of service at the state and national levels including being the first female Secretary of the branch. She noted that her emergence as the first female Chairman of the NBA, Port Harcourt, demonstrates that the women folk can do much more in leadership like the men adding that her victory would pave the way for more women to venture into leadership at all levels within and outside the Bar.
The NBA Chairman therefore admonished women lawyers to do their best by fortifying themselves with the requisite knowledge, guidance and mentorship from experienced lawyers in order to overcome the pitfalls that may stand against their progressions in what she termed a competitive profession.
She equally appealed to all Lawyers in the branch including those who have stayed away from meetings of the branch to join hands with the NBA leadership to rebuild the branch. Barr. Eke who described the departure of their deceased colleague as painful and saddening, stated that the turn out of members of the Bar and Bench in the state both at valedictory session at the State High Court premises and the burial ceremony was a deserving honour to the Late Mrs. Millicent Emenike-Worlu.
