In a recent symposium held on the 23rd of April, 2020 by the administrators of the 'Learned Friends Club', a Whatsapp online media platform created by Olajide Abiodun Esq, the 5th of April 2020 . The purport of the talk was to elicit from all available aspirants into various Nigerian Bar Association National offices what they think about the roles and responsibilities of the offices they aspire into. More particularly, to share their recommendation on the recommendation on how those roles can be achieved with a practical approach.
The virtual symposium was organized by a handful of Lawyers with keen interest in the quality of solutions aspirants into the various NBA National elective positions seek to proffer to daunting challenges in the context devoid of campaign material of opportunity.
Here attached are the grand rules of the Private Whatsapp by the Administrators;
"Profound greetings learned seniors and colleagues. I welcome you to LEARNED FRIENDS CLUB. This is a group set up primarily for the purpose of interfacing and interacting with all aspirants/contestants for the various offices of the NBA National.
They will all be given ample opportunities to avail us their campaign materials, manifestos, profiles, as well as plans for the Bar.
Note also that joinders and rejoinders, as well as reactions and counter reactions to issues which arise outside the group are not allowed. The group is not a place to settle perceived scores. Members are encouraged to take advantage in promoting their preferences. Please resist the urge to throw jabs at others here.
The admins reserve the right to sanction defaulters.
Everyone is free to ask any or all aspirants/candidates any question bothering on any issue of the Bar.
PS: avoid unnecessary use of media files. Where a media file is used, it must be captioned appropriately.
Enjoy your stay.
Admin.
RULES GUIDING LEARNED FRIENDS CLUB
All members are to adhere strictly to the rules as follows in bullet points.
PROHIBITED CONTENTS.
1. CAMPAIGN IS NOT ALLOWED. (NO MATTER THE STYLE AND PATTERN) SAVE UNTIL THE 31ST DAY OF MAY 2020.
2. INSULTS, DEROGATORY STATEMENTS, INNUENDOES, AND ANY INCIVILITY IS PROHIBITED.
3. MEMES, AND STICKERS ARE NOT ALLOWED SAVE UNTIL THE 31ST DAY OF MAY 2020
4. MESSAGES NOT RELATED TO THE PURPOSE OF THE GROUP IS PROHIBITED
5. UNHEALTHY ARGUMENTS SEEKING TO DISPARAGE A(NY) CANDIDATE IS PROHIBITED.
6. ANY OTHER POST/COMMENTS AS THE ADMINS MAY DEEM FIT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE UNHEALTHY.
7. LINKS OF ANY KIND ARE GENERALLY PROHIBITED POSTS THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE.
1. A PICTURE OF YOUR PREFERRED CANDIDATE WITH THE PREFERRED WORDS YOU WISH TO ASCRIBE TO SAME. (THIS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED FROM 9PM TONIGHT THE 7TH DAY OF APRIL 2020 AND ENDS 12PM 8TH DAY OF APRIL 2020. A WEDNESDAY. THEN SHALL PICK UP AGAIN FROM 1ST DAY OF JUNE 2020 TILL ELECTION IS OVER.
2. THE GROUP IS MEANT FOR A ONE ON ONE CIVIL INTERACTION WITH ASPIRANTS (OR THEIR CAMPAIGN MANAGERS WHERE THE ASPIRANT IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE), AT ANY DAY AND AT ANY TIME ON ISSUES BOTHERING ON THE DELIVERY OF THE RULE OF LAW AND THE WELFARE OF ALL LAWYERS AS IT AFFECTS THEM. AND HOW THEY INTEND TO ACHIEVE SAME. FURTHER QUESTIONS SHOULD BE PREMISED ON THEIR PROFILE AND THEIR RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS POSED.
3. EACH ASPIRANT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO MINIMUM OF 10 AND MAXIMUM OF 15 QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE GROUP AS A WHOLE So friends of Aspirants should synergise on the questions to be asked. And a member can't ask more than 1 question. Questions to be responded to will be marked by the admins if same exceeds 10/15 as the situation permits.
THE GROUP SHALL BE CLOSED DURING THE SESSION TO ALLOW ASPIRANTS ENGAGE US VISAVIS THEIR PROFILE IN BRIEF AND THEN SAME WILL BE RE OPENED FOR QUESTIONS. AFTER THE QUESTIONS ARE MARKED TO BE ANSWERED, THE GROUP SHALL BE CLOSED AGAIN TO ENABLE THE ASPIRANTS RESPOND UNHINDERED.
LONG LIVE NBA.
ADMINS........."
Here below is the excerpt of the presentation discuss of Mr. S.O.K Shillings, an aspirant into the office of the 1st Vice President, NBA.
My name is Sahid Osuolale Kolawole SHILLINGS otherwise known as S. O. K. Shillings. I was called to the Bar in 2000. I am Managing Partner, S. O. K. Shillings & Co. founded in 2003. We are engaged majorly in litigation. I sit on the Board of Odoogun Castle Estate Limited and we provide corporate services to a handful of medium companies.
I attended St. Peter U. N. A. Primary School, Bashua Somolu and followed up to Government Teacher College, Ikorodu. I was a teacher for about a decade before proceeding to the Lagos State University to study Law where I graduated in 1997.
During my time as a teacher, I was a gamesmaster and an active N. U. T. activist. I was Secretary of Gamesmaster/'Mistresses Association from 1986 - 1992 and one of founders of Association of Classroom Teachers in Ikorodu which later metamophorsed into the National Association of Classroom Teachers under the aegis of the N. U. T. I was the Assistant Secretary (1987 - 1989) and later Secretary of the Association ('89 -' 92).
At LASU, I was a member, Student Parliamentary Council; Chairman, first independent Students Union Electoral Committee; Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Law Student Society; Candidate for Presidency, LASU Students Union (whence I assumed the alias 'SOK is Ok!'; and, I was the Founder, Society for Current Affairs and Development which I left as a legacy.
I had my pupilage for 3 years in 2 firms headed by Principals who were interested in NBA. Both principals became branch Chairmen in 2016 - 2018 and one is a presidential aspirant. I was an active member of the Lagos and Ikeja branches before settling down in Ikorodu in 2006 where I became a member of the Elders Committee in 2008.
I am a community leader in my own right. I was co-founder and leader of Ikorodu Collectives 1999 - 2012; A founding member and Assistant Secretary, Ikorodu Economic Council 2013 - 2015 and President, Zenith Peers Club 2007 - 2011. I serve as Member, LASU Indigeneship Verification Committee 2017 - 2020+.
I am a politician of the left wing inclination. I was a member of Juche Idea Study Group 1988 - 1992 and Gani Fawehinmi Solidarity Association 1989 - 1992.
In compliance with the rule of engagement in this loop, I have come to do a short expose on the office of a Vice President of our great Association.
The main constitutional duties of the Vice President, in summary, are: presiding over meetings in the absence of the President (in the order of nomenclature), coordinating activities and visiting branches in the zone assigned to him, encouraging and supervising the formation of new branches and performing other duties directed by President or NEC.
The defined responsibilities appear restrictive. The spirit of the Bar demands more. But there is a glimmer of hope for anyone who desires more with the latter provision that the VP shall perform other duties '... which the President is unable to perform owing to... any other reason'.
What that offers is a necessity to warm oneself to the heart of the President to enable a larger coast working for the President to achieve more. It is then no longer about what the President is 'unable' (and I wonder what he is unable to do that it is the Vice that will do it). It will be a matter of what the President's team and tenure could achieve with the contribution of the Vice President.
Before going to the extra, the Vice President has enough on his hands and must be energetic to seek more. Managing a zone is demanding if done in the true spirit.
The Management demands meeting with the Chairmen and officers regularly and being abreast of developments in the zone including the programmes of the branches. That extends to the constitutionally recognized zonal organisations. This requires savvy and clout from the VP.
For instance, a VP who will manage the West zone has a duty to resolve some bikerings in Egbe Amofin. The schism in the Midwest Forum is exercerbating with factions approaching court for resolution. Yet there has to be a meeting point for both organisations, necessarily. Whoever does that in 2 years deserves a discharge certificate. And it must be done.
There is a collegiate of 3 Vice Presidents differentiated mainly by the right to preside over meetings in the absence of the President (a mere inanity).
The Bar is a complex organization that requires a lot of energy from the officers. Many of our activities are not coordinated, yet we have 3 VPs.
For instance, the Human Rights Committee in branches is headed by the Vice Chairman. It should be expected that a VP should be coordinating at the national level and be Chairman or Co-Chairman of the Human Rights Committee.
We discuss the-state-of-the-nation at every NEC meeting, who clears the assignments set out from the discussions?
I see us going into a more engaging tenure where the Bar will be the unofficial Ombudsman of the nation. We cannot continue to be counted among the wailers.
It is time we explored the clout of the Bar to set the people free from a national assembly that receives jumbo pay in a poor country; a judiciary without budget, DisCos charging arbitrarily without producing electricity, police impunity, arbitrary charges and deductions by service providers in communication and telecast.
Of course that is subject to the mindset and direction of Mr. President.
To make those interventions, I hope to see the Bar set up committees like Consumer Protection, Public Litigation, Government Liaison, Law Bureau Committees and reorganise existing structure for better effect.
It is needless overemphasing that the next President should have his hands full and will require the involvement of the VPs according to their inclinations.
Looking inwards, there are matters and issues we must address our minds to.
* We should be entitled to souvenirs. And I think that a September - August calender is the proper practice diary for litigation lawyers. With advantage of quantity, it should not be expensive.
* We are not helping the judiciary in the drive for speedy dispensation of justice. The Bar should come up with ideas and positions.
* The treatment we get in the celebration of the new legal year programme has to change.
* We pay lip service to the welfare of young lawyers and it has been a recurrent issue during elections as campaign materials without any concrete plan to change the situation.
* The welfare package at the national level is inadequate.
Let me stop here hoping that the electoral process will create atmosphere for contestants to campaign effectively while I wait for your questions. "
Note,at the end of each session of the talk show for aspirants, the floor is opened for a session of question and answer guided yet by another set of rules herewith replicated;
"Always remember!
In a bid to have a smooth process, we wish to appeal to our distinguished Aspirants to refrain from using words that may be interpreted as campaign. Words such as "I will...", "I can...", "We will...", Etc should be avoided.
Consequently, all questions to be put forward to the Aspirants must be devoid of such tendencies as to push them into using some of the above statements that have been termed inappropriate.
All questions should be geared towards seeking the opinions and possible solutions to issues and problems currently bedeviling our dear Association and the Nigerian society for which we seek to promote the rule of law.
Questions relating to the workings of a particular office for which an aspirant has indicated interest in, may be asked. However, the Aspirants should not be asked what he/she will do.
For example, an aspirant for the position of the Asst Publicity Secretary may be asked "what do you think an occupier of the office of the Asst Publicity Secretary can do in a given situation".
Never ask "what will you do?" Or "what can you do?"
Thank you.
Admin"
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