Jonathan Drums up Support for NBA

NBA president, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN)

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed his willingness to support the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the building of the a N6.5 billion national secretariat (NBA House) project.

Jonathan in a message to the NBA house fundraising dinner at the weekend, stated that it was necessary for the association to have a secretariat which would symbolise the Bar.

The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, promised to support the project but refused to disclose the financial commitment to the project.

Anyim said: “The president sent assurance of his support, he will reach out to the NBA president to quantify the support. And on my own part, I will also talk to the Bar president.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who is also the chairman of the fundraising committee, observed that it was degrading for the NBA to operate from an unbefitting environment.

He said the NBA House would portray the NBA as a serious professional body in the African.

“This monument will show the Bar Association as a serious professional body in Africa. We implore you to support us to reposition our noble association for the challenges ahead, support us to build a national legal monument for the Nigerian people, support us to maintain our position as the foremost professional association in Africa because we have been supporting democratic process and contributing to the wealthy growth of our democratic institution,” he said.

NBA president, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN), said when the 10-storey building  project is completed,  the association would no longer pay huge fee for use of hotel auditoriums.

Wali, who insisted that all branches of the NBA would have to contribute a minimum of N1 million to the building project, called on the 400 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in the country to donate generously to the project.
The fundraising is expected to be replicated in the six geo-political zones of the federation.