The Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) held its quarterly meeting on 12th February 2022. The venue for the meeting was the newly opened Charles Obegolu Bar Center,Obeledu. Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State.
In the course of the EBF meeting, the Leadership of the EBF gave opportunity to the many prominent visiting lawyers to express goodwill to the EBF and to make a few remarks. Some of the visitors who took the opportunity included: Mr. A. Adegbite; Auta Nyada; Habeeb Lawal, Jonathan Taidi; Desmond Yamah, J. K. Gadzama, SAN and most conspicuous of all, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN. Y.C Maikyau’s invitation was greeted with the loudest ovation and was accompanied to the podium by over 50 lawyers, including: NBA Chairmen and past Chairmen from Northern Branches, Bar leaders and many other prominent lawyers from different branches across the country.
Following the permission of the EBF leadership, Mr. Y. C. Maikyau, SAN introduced all the members of his entourage by giving their names, designations and branches. Some members of his entourage and lawyers introduced by Mr Maikyau included: Murtala Aliyu Kankia; Life Bencher, Mallam Abdulwasiu A. Alfa; Former Chairman NBA Maiduguri Branch, Muhammad Umaru; Immediate Past Chairman NBA Maiduguri Branch, Abba Mallam Ummate; Chairman NBA Maiduguri Branch, Audu Umaru; NEC Rep NBA BIU Branch, Ibrahim Alhassan; Chairman NBA Lokoja Branch, Umar Abdullahi Chiroma; Chairman NBA-YLF Maiduguri Branch, Aminu Sani Gadanya; Chairman NBA Kano Branch, Nuhu Suleiman Tafida; Chairman NBA Dutse Branch, Muhammad Nuhu; Former Secretary NBA Sokoto Branch, Ahmad Tukur; Chairman NBA Gombe Branch, Jibrin Sa’id Jibrin; Chairman NBA Bauchi Branch, Jibril Jimeta; Chairman NBA Yola Branch, Muhammad Mu’awiyya; Chairman NBA Mubi Branch, Safiya Balarabe, Wada Ahmed Wada, Vice Chair NBA Ungogo branch and Chairman National Council of NBA-YLF, A. A. Umar; Past Chairman NBA Minna Branch, Husaini Abdu; Chairman NBA Zaria Branch, Bullus Atsen; Chairman NBA Abuja Branch, Aminu Hassan; Secretary NBA Birnin Kebbi Branch, Mudassir Sale; Chairman YLF Birnin Kebbi, Abdullahi Musa Karaye, Secretary NBA Ungogo Branch, Altine Ibrahim; Former Chairperson, NBA Damaturu Branch, O.D Jimoh; Chairman Arewa YLF, Princess Adaeze; Abuja Branch, Sameera Tabo; Abuja Branch, Mudashiru Sale, Huwaila Ibrahim; Past Chairperson FIDA Kano, Ahmed Khalil; Mulan Secretary Yobe, Lawal Hudu Garba; Past Secretary NBA Birnin Kebbi Branch; Adekunle Olanipekun; YLF Chairman Abuja Branch, Ebenezer Chisom Amadi; YLF Abuja, Kelechi Davidson Ogbonna; NBA Sokoto Branch, Usman Lukman Nuhu; NBA Chairman Damaturu Branch, Barbara Omosun; Former National Chairperson YLF, Garba Hamza Umar; former YLF Chairman Dutse Branch, Nwabueze Obasi-Obi; Partner Y. C. Maikyau & Co, Muhammad Adelodun; Partner, Y. C Maikyau & Co, Morris C. Duru; Senior Associate Y. C. Maikyau & Co and many other lawyers too numerous to mention.
Mr. Maikyau commended the leadership of the EBF, the leadership of Anaocha Branch and their members for their sterling performance and contributions to the promotion and development of EBF in particular and Nigerian Bar Association in general.
Obviously rattled and intimidated by the massive show of support and love for Mr. Maikyau, SAN, the learned Silk, J. K Gadzama when it was his turn to deliver his goodwill message to the Forum, decided to throw tantrums directed at Mr. Maikyau and his entourage. He remarked that he didn’t need to turn up with a *“rented crowd”* of *“empty vessels”* to show his broad support. The audience was shocked and consequently booed Mr JK Gadzama, SAN for descending to the level of using such abusive words against his learned friends. Mr. Gadzama subsequently went on to call to the podium the 3 members of his own entourage.
Upon JK concluding his remarks, Maikyau, as always, demonstrated uncommon sportsmanship by standing up to clap for Chief J. K. Gadzama, and to embrace him warmly. He had the same response to a similar outburst by Chief Gadzama at the EBF meeting held in Enugu on 24/7/2021. At the said meeting, after Mr. YC had given his goodwill message and remarks, JK had (in what has been identified as his characteristic manner) made some snide and less than charitable remarks directed at Mr. YC., who in his usual characteristic, took the high road and shook hands with his learned brother silk as he left the podium to return to his seat.
This gesture by Mr. Maikyau was greeted by a thunderous ovation from the audience.
At a hangout hosted by his friends shortly after the EBF meeting, the Learned Silk, Y. C. Maikyau, apologised to his delegation for the actions of his learned brother silk, Chief J. K. Gadzama; for the malicious and uncharitable words he used on them. He recalled that the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, to which lawyers subscribe, compels Lawyers to show courtesy and respect to colleagues at all times regardless of the circumstances. He implored the delegation to overlook the conduct and instead to focus on building the Bar for the greater good of all.
It would be recalled that sometime in January 2022, a letter was written to the ECNBA by Mr. Olasupo Ojo, questioning the presence of Messers Maikyau and Taidi in the race to the apex office of the Nigerian Bar Association. Mr. Ojo had claimed that it was the turn of the North-East to produce the next NBA President, calling for the interpretation of Section 9(3) of the NBA Constitution. Could the massive presence of lawyers and Bar Leaders from the North and particularly from the North-East be a subtle response to Mr. Ojo’s letter by the people of that region? Could the fact that leaders in all the 6 states of the North-east, more than 5 of whom were from Borno State in particular (Chief Gadzama’s region and home state) all formed part of Mr. Maikyau’s entourage, be the cause of Chief Gadzama’s obvious irritation and attendant tantrum. Is the composition of YC’s entourage at the EBF a suggestion that the allegations in Mr. Ojo’s letter is incorrect?
