Out-going national president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Joseph Daudu (SAN)

Out-going national president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Joseph Daudu (SAN), has been unanimously removed as leader of Kaduna state branch of the association.

Daudu was removed following his alleged inability to remit N10 million due to the branch after its recent delegate conference in Abuja, and allegations of working against the interests of the branch.

Daudu has been replaced with Mr. Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) and also Prince Lanke Odogiyon as deputy leader.

Chairman of the branch, Barrister Samuel Atung, told newsmen in Kaduna during a briefing that members raised so many issues, fundamentally on the N10 million that was approved to Kaduna branch by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NBA.

“However, unfortunately, even with the advantage of having a President who comes from the branch, who is not only a member of the branch, he is also the leader of the branch; we have not been able to get that money. That has really created problems for us, even as officials of the branch. We had to be appealing to our members time and time again, trying to pacify them on why we have not been able to get the money. So during the meeting; our members couldn’t take it any longer.

“Normally, after every conference, the National body of the NBA disburses 20 per cent of the NEC profit to the hosting branch. We hosted the 2010 Annual Conference of the NBA and we are entitled to that 20 per cent of the profit realised from the conference after expenses. There was already a NEC decision that Kaduna branch be paid that amount and at the last AGM, the President came to tell us that it is not N10 million but N4 million, we said, alright, let us have the N4 million but even the N4 million is not forth coming, so you can imagine the frustration within our members,” he said.