The directive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to
its members to boycott the courts to protest the suspension of the Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onoghen grounded activities in courts in Bayelsa.
Checks at some courts in Yenagoa indicated that lawyers
complied with the directive, a development that made it impossible for judges
to treat any case..
Members of the NBA executives were seen monitoring the
compliance at the state high courts as well as the Federal High Court in Onopa
area of Yenagoa.
Some litigants whose cases were slated for hearing today
were disappointed to hear of the development and turned back from the courts.
“I
had expected to see my lawyer here today haven given him the mandatory
transport cost few days ago, it was only when I called me that he informed me
of the position of the NBA,” a litigant said.
Mrs Dise Ogbise-Ehisere, Chairman of Sagbama Branch of
NBA said in a telephone chat that lawyers in the two branches of NBA in Bayelsa,
complied with the directive of the
National leadership of NBA.
“We complied to the directive of National Executive
Council (NEC) of NBA fully in Bayelsa on Tuesday being the first day and we
shall continue tomorrow.
“No court sat today in the two branches of NBA in Bayelsa
because we set up a monitoring committee that went round all the courts.
“Their mission was to ensure that lawyers who did not get
the notice and come to courts would be informed, some judges who heard of it
did not turn up.
“The feedback is that compliance was total, I was at the
NEC when the decision to boycott the court was taken and I just came back to
ensure compliance.
“After tomorrow, if the CJN is not reinstated, we shall
await further directives from the national leadership of NBA,” Ogbise-Ehisere
said.
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