4.4. Strengthening the NBA Sections, Fora and Institutes.
Beyond providing a platform for professional and social advancement of the Bar, the NBA Sections and Fora are veritable resource bases for policy conceptualisation and formulation for public and private sector initiatives. As a member of the Section on Legal Practice (SLP), I have witnessed the tremendous intellectual discourse and conversations at conferences or seminars organised by the Section.
Similarly, the NBA section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has been vibrant in public interest advocacy and litigation. This is one Section through which the NBA can unleash its potentials to drive socio-economic changes in Nigeria.The impact recorded by the Section on Business Law (SBL) in the area of economy, international businesses, and trade, cannot be over emphasised.
The support provided by the current administration of the NBA is encouraging. My administration will sustain the momentum through high-level engagements, deliberate judicial and legislative interventions to engender support for policy and legislative reforms.
4.5. Other Organs of the Association
I am mindful of the fact that 2 years is a short time to achieve transformation especially where the NBA has to interface with external agencies and corporations, so, Committee nominations will be presented at the first post-inauguration NEC meeting of the administration, with clear mandate of deliverables and the right appointments to achieve the desired results. My administration will ensure adequate representation from all demographics of the Association in order to achieve diversity and inclusiveness.
4.6. Financial Stability.
For many years, the NBA has been run as an organisation that lives on a day-to-day basis, often spending all that it generates within a given administrative cycle. The culture of the rainy-day fund had not been promoted before the current administration of the NBA. Our thinking is that a solid financial base guarantees independence and would enable the NBA to play its role to its members and to society without being influenced by external forces that could seek to exert undue pressure and influence on the Association.
Also, there hasn’t been emphasis on sweating the assets of the Association to generate funds from its activities and assets. The National Secretariat complex should be made more functional and developed to generate income from the parts of it that are currently not utilised or under-utilised. Also, the old Secretariat in Abuja that is currently being renovated for the use of the NBA-ICLE and the Human Rights Institute (HRI) should be run in such a way that thoseInstitutes pay rent for the use of the premises before making any annual returns to the Association.
We will build on current efforts at debt settlement and expanding the revenue-generating base of the Association. Financial stability is built on the strong values of transparency, accountability and sustainable investment. My administration supports the idea of having an NBA Fund.
We commit to placing a minimum of 30% of the Annual Revenue of the NBA yearly to the Fund with a view to significantly growing it from the current value of N1,500,000,000.
4.7. Stamp and Seal
We will seek to improve all aspects of administration relating to the issue and delivery of stamp and seal. The ultimate objective of my administration would be to move to a safe and secure electronic stamp system. In the meantime, we will continue with the current policy of issuing 48 free stamps to members.
*To be continued and concluded soon.
