And so the much talked about Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association tagged ‘Jos 2005’ held between August 29 and September 2, 2005 has come and gone. In a preview of the Conference published on August 30, 2005, THISDAY LAW Editor, Mr. Jude Igbanoi had stated inter alia ‘the Jos Conference is without doubt expected to be the ultimate determinant of the future of Nigeria’s foremost professional body.’ As a participant in the Conference I can say that no such thing was determined by the Conference.

Along with some other Conferees from Lagos, we traveled with EAS Airlines, the only airline plying the Lagos – Jos route. This fight left Lagos at 11.30am on Sunday August 28 and arrived safely at Yakubu Gowon airport one hour ten minutes later. The organisers arranged a bus to ferry us to the Conference venue at Crest Hostels and Gardens Jos. Accreditation was to commence the previous day August 28 and continue on 29 but no such thing happened. We were all hanging around at the small foyer of Crest Hotels like refugees and no official attended to anyone. The torrential rain that marked our arrival did not help matters. After hovering for a while, it dawned on us that we had to secure our various accommodations. This writer had made a prior arrangement for lodging at the good old Hill Station Hotel Jos. On getting there, I discovered that not much had changed in the old flagship hotel of the defunct Benue Plateau State from the days of the late Joseph Gomwalk. My room for instance had no intercom with the reception or other rooms. Some conferees were however not so lucky as they could not secure accommodation since all the hotels in Jos including the one star ones had been fully booked. Yours sincerely had no choice than to continue ‘calling himself to the Bar (of Rock, Star, Gulder, Stout etc)’ till the following morning when the Conference proper was billed to commence.

Monday, August 20, was for the opening ceremonies at Crest Hotel. First observation was that the Conference Hall was not big enough to accommodate more than 800 people in a Conference involving over 2000 lawyers. So the early birds had to occupy and sometimes ‘colonise’ the available seats. The opening ceremonious lived up to expectations save that some principal actors were conspicuously absent. Apart from the host Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye who was apparently happy to be hosting the NBA as a sign that peace has been fully restored in his kingdom, the chairman of the occasion in the person of Chief Justice Mohammadu Uwais was absent and represented not by another Supreme Court Justice but b the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Umaru Abdulahi, a very humble and unassuming gentleman who had no choice than seat beside His Excellency, Governor Dariye notwithstanding the latter’s legal travails that may pass through the former’s judicial territory. Some conferees were wondering whether His Lordship the Chief Justice was avoiding the Conference in view of the recent attack on his person and the Supreme Court Bench from a member of the Bar. Or whether he declined to send a brother Judge of the Supreme Court to represent him on account of the feud publicly disclosed by him in a recent interview.

Another conspicuous absentee was the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN who was represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George. Do I need to recall the furore surrounding Chief Ojo’s controversial resignation as NBA President in order to assume his present office notwithstanding the letters of the NBA Constitution which he swore to uphold after his election in the Abuja Conference of 2004. Anyway in a speech read on his behalf, Chief Ojo, an amiable gentleman no doubt avoided joining issues with the NBA and even got an ovation when it was disclosed that he had secured a piece of land in Abuja for the NBA Secretariat. Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, an accomplished lawyer and legal writer was happy to be with his learned colleagues (probably a respite from daily interactions with unlearned colleagues in uniform). The Plateau State Speaker Hon Simon Lalong, a lawyer who a day earlier had survived a constitutional recall by his constituents was present with his Chief Judge and Attorney-General. The NBA officials led by brand new (default) president, Lanke Odogiyan, my ‘former’ friend Nimi Walson-Jack who had forgotten me less than one year after his election as General-Secretary, Chief Joe Gadzama, SAN chairman of Conference Planning Committee and Jos NBA chairman, Mr. Garba Pwul were all beating their chests at the high table.

In an interlude to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Plateau people, we were treated to a performance by a Yoruba Cultural troupe rendered in Yoruba language, Plateau indeed. Of course the keynote address by Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, JSC (rtd) was as expected a masterpiece. His Excellency the Governor also made a generous donation to the NBA which was applauded. Meanwhile while the proceedings in the hall were in progress, hundreds of lawyers who had no seats were milling outside whilst very many others were scrambling for accreditation and to get the Conference materials that had been duly paid for.

This writer recently attended the American Bar Association annual Convention held in Chicago Illinois between August 4 and 9, 2005 and there is absolutely no comparison with what we had in Jos and no arrangement was made by the organisers to move the conferees around. From my Hill Station lodge to the Conference venue cost N500 one way (hotel car hire). And one was expected to attend different sessions in different locations including Leadership Institute and Lamonde Hotel. The whole Conference venue was like our usual trade fairs or church bazaar sales with vendors of law books and accessories, all types of clothing’s, food etc all over the place. Of course the other days followed in quick succession with the presentation of papers by various scholars and practitioners as advertised. I missed the Bar dinner on August 30, thereby forfeiting my N5000 payment because I was not sure of how to get back to my hotel late in the night. To my relief those who attended confessed that it was no less chaotic than the other activities.

The whether in Jos was at its best and there was no need for air conditioners. In fact despite my misgivings about the rather poor organisation of the NBA Conference, I will definitely be going back to Jos for a family vacation. The Conference Programme and Papers were well printed but Jos as a city was apparently overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Conference. Anyway one was opportune to meet old colleagues that one had not seen for up to eighteen years. Every other branch of the NBA organised and catered for their members except those from Ikeja and Lagos who had to fend for themselves. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not an election year so nobody was sponsored to attend and no Ghana-must-Go bag was sighted. Who knows what to expect in Port Harcourt (yes the same Port Harcourt) next year when the oil city plays host again to the resuscitated and rejuvenated NBA. Surely we trust Governor Odili’s generosity but pray, any insurance against Asari Dokubo and Ateke Tom? Long live the only learned and honourable profession.