Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Corporate Social Responsibility: NBA 2020 CONFERENCE WITHOUT GOV. EL-RUFAI
Corporate Social Responsibility: NBA 2020 CONFERENCE WITHOUT GOV. EL-RUFAI: NBA 2020 CONFERENCE WITHOUT GOV. EL-RUFAI I want to remind ourselves from the onset of this discourse that there is corporate responsibi...
NBA 2020 CONFERENCE WITHOUT GOV. EL-RUFAI
NBA 2020 CONFERENCE WITHOUT GOV. EL-RUFAI
I want to remind ourselves from the onset of this discourse that there
is corporate responsibility attached to public offices, sometimes symbolised by
taking of Oath of Office. It is partly for this reason that ordinary issue are
magnified or receive more attention than necessary. Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA) is one of the foremost organised civil society organization in the
country with clout and influence recognized by governments at all levels. The organization is known for its slogan ‘promoting
the rule of law’, which encompasses defending the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (the grundnorm), the judges, fundamental human right of
individuals and hold governments accountable to the people who elected them, as
the custodian of the conscience of the nation.
The NBA NEC has the responsibility to organize meetings and conferences
whenever necessary. In so doing a
technical organising committee is usually assigned to arrange the logistics and
protocols on behalf of NEC before the main meeting and this year’s conference
is not an exception even though virtual, which is substantially different from
previous ones.
One of the main and invariable features of is nomination/invitation of
speakers from broad spectrum of the society.
This year’s speaker happens to include Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, governor
of Kaduna state. Intrinsically the organizing committee in their assessment,
thought his inclusion would be welcome like other speakers. But it didn’t because no sooner the name
appeared on the proposal list than objections and protests by commentators both
lawyers and non-lawyers on various social media platforms went viral, calling
for his dis-invitation.
Some of the reasons advanced by these critics include crisis in Kaduna
state where the governor is the chief executive with its citizens divided along
ethnic and sectarian lines; disobedience to valid court orders; failure to
observe the tenets of the rule of law, and most importantly as the CEO, his
failure to maintain security and welfare of citizens which are the primary purpose
of government.
The NBA President in his letter to the embattled governor explaining
reasons for dis-invitation, maintained that these allegations were not ‘judgments’
by the NBA and I so align with that opinion. For governor El-Rufai there is no
love lost. He has an Attorney-General
and Commissioner for Justice, therefore no one northerner is justified to cry
more than the bereaved.
Without the governor instructing the office, Hon. Aisha Dikko should
have asked whether the governor’s right was violated or denied by applying the
principle of ubi jus ibi remedium (where there is a right, there is a remedy). The answer from these commentators/critics,
both lawyers and non-lawyers would have been none. Even if he has any right of invitation, it is
revocable or limited like any other legal or equitable right.
It is also on record that, contrary to the principle of fairness,
protection/inclusion of minorities and reflection of equitable political
balance, his second term election deliberately ensured muslim-muslim ticket
removing existing inclusive option of muslim-christain or vice-versa. This
arrangement lost sense of belonging due to the Kaduna minorities.
Obviously many can see that there are sensitive issues at stake with victims of the recent crisis still licking
their wounds. Is this the proper time
for the governor to mount the podium on the platform of the NBA after he has been
Channels, Youtube, social media and other electronic and print media stating
his own case and defence? Who is holding the briefs of the victims and
minorities? In my candid opinion, with all these being fresh in our minds it would
amount to complacency and insensitivity to add Mall El-Rufai as 2020 conference
speaker, in a group known as vanguards of human right for citizens and
minorities. This is indefensible and odd for NBA to handle.This, indeed is a
difficult moment for the NBA, especially the outgoing and incoming leadership.
Members should employ sound reason in handling these issues without allowing
sentiments to cloud our decisions because what we have is today, we cannot dictate
what the next day can come up with.
Let me now end this discourse with Edmund Burke, an English political philosophy
who said: ‘All it takes for evil to triumph is for men of goodwill to remain
silent in the times of moral crisis’.
Iyke Ozemena Esq
Corporate Attorney/Consultant IKECHUKWU O. ODOEMELAM & CO
#corporateleaders
www.corporateleadersboard.blog.com
www.facebook.com/corporateboard amazon.com/iyke ozemena books
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075RXXLE COMPANY SECRETARIES HANDBOOK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005783S6SDIRECTORS
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKCESY MEETINGS: Dynamics and Legality
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Corporate Social Responsibility: CHALLENGES OF SCHOOLS RE-OPENING
Corporate Social Responsibility: CHALLENGES OF SCHOOLS RE-OPENING: CHALLENGES OF SCHOOLS RE-OPENING The pandemic called Covid19 brought the entire world into a situation now referred to as the ‘new nor...
CHALLENGES OF SCHOOLS RE-OPENING
CHALLENGES OF SCHOOLS RE-OPENING
The pandemic called Covid19 brought the entire world into a situation
now referred to as the ‘new normal’. All over the world it became normal for
offices, industries, travels, schools to shut down. For the schools to re-open is not new,
however the closure took place at a time it was considered a weapon; one of the
prongs of global battle against Covid19.
Before arriving at this decision there were serious debates in various
countries.
The re-opening also generated similar debates and intellectual,
socio-economic and political arguments as to the rationale for doing so. It is no secret that while the arguments were
going on as part of the fundamental rights of freedom of speech, conscience,
contribution of citizens towards democracy, students and teachers were
attending religious worships, playing sports, participated in socio-economic
and political activities, including market places and other activities, none of
which showed serious observance of the proclaimed guidelines.
The central issued in all these debates and arguments is how many lives
would be saved by adopting one argument rather than the other. It is daisy to
decide one way or the other. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) being the arbiter in the
discourse has outlined various guidelines for prevention and control of the
spread of Covid19, but the observance and practices are still below set
standards even as schools are re-opening.
These guidelines are not rocket science.
They include basic hygiene precautions as washing hands with running
water. Use of face mask and maintaining social
distance of not less than three metres apart from each other, if you must be in
the crowd of religious services, schools, transport, market places and
political gatherings.
The critical issue now is whether the stakeholders in the educational
system are sufficiently sensitized to re-open schools, without raising a new wave
of the pandemic? One has to be specific
in answering such question because of the size of the national educational
sector – quite huge. Juxtapose this with the dichotomy between public and private schools. I am not persuaded to go into the
divisions among the different private schools and the negative impact they have
on decisions in this sector,
Since the policy decision has taken off already with induction training on the guidelines, what remains are the concerns so doing raises for parents,
students, teachers, para-educational staff and other stakeholders like
education NGOs. One of such concerns is
the increase in transport fare induced by the observance of social distancing
in various means of transport coupled with the imminent increase in fuel
costs. Also pertinent is the fact that
return to school with more passengers at the bus stop might induce shortage of
transport facilities.
Education is a social service as opposed to economic venture. Of course no one is blind to the fact that
most private schools/institutions operate as pure economic ventures. Therefore the need for corporate social
responsibility (CSR) on the part of state and federal governments with their
relevant ministries put on alert throughout the schools exit duration, because
it would not be unheard of, if the exercise induces a new wave of the pandemic.
God forbid!
Iyke Ozemena Esq
Corporate Attorney/Consultant IKECHUKWU O. ODOEMELAM & CO
#corporateleaders
www.corporateleadersboard.blog.com www.facebook.com/corporateboard amazon.com/iyke ozemena books http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075RXXLE COMPANY SECRETARIES HANDBOOK
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005783S6S
DIRECTORShttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKCESY MEETINGS: Dynamics and Legality
Saturday, August 1, 2020
NBA 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
NBA 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
In spite of alleged agitations the election broke the jinx of the position being the preserve of the
SANs since Clement Akpamgbo SAN of blessed memories stepped into the office in 1991.
Since 2018 election Lawyers have been locking horns over alleged electronic rigging that brought
Paul Usoro SAN to the presidency resulting into protracted antagonism that fueled the
determination of the soul of the bar to up turn a ‘convention’ that was gaining ground that once
SANs mount the podium to announce candidacy for NBA presidential election any other candidate
not a SAN withers away.
In the words of former President Obama ‘change has come to NBA.’ It was a difficult time with the
restrictions of the pandemic. Finally a rare show of courage brought the needed change; It calls for
diligence to sustain the new era;
All hands should be on the deck to realize this.
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