The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has suspended its general secretary Joyce Oduah accused of gross misconduct.
Mrs Oduah was also accused of unilaterally withdrawing notices for the amendment of the association’s constitution. The constitution amendment, by the earlier notices, was meant to be considered at the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled to begin on August 19 in Lagos.
Rising from its emergency meeting on Monday, the national executive committee passed the resolution suspending Oduah from office.
According to a copy of the resolution issued at the end of the meeting, Mrs Oduah and 10 other members of the committee, including the NBA president, Olumide Akpata, were present at the meeting.
The meeting was presided by the first Vice President, John Martins, with the Akpata voluntarily withdrawing.
With the exception of Akpata and Oduah, nine members in attendance signed the resolution suspending the general secretary.
The nine members of the committee who signed the resolution had, in a letter dated August 9 and addressed to Akpata, called for the emergency meeting to address recent actions recently taken by Oduah.
According to an internal memo from the national officers addressed to Akpata and dated August 14, Oduah was accused of lacking the “proper temperament” expected of her office as general secretary.
“Mrs Oduah has throughout this administration exhibited domineering, rude, disrespectful and obstructive attitude that has greatly affected the morale and working atmosphere in the national secretariat,” the document read.
The assistant general secretary, Uchenna Nwadialo, is to act as the general secretary pending the pre-conference meeting of the NBA-NEC.
