- The president of Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, said EFCC allegation cannot force him resign his position
- Usoro was dragged to court on allegation that he partnered with Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom to pocket N1.4 billion
- Proving his innocence, the NBA boss said he can only resign if the executive members of the body forced him to do so
Paul Usoro, the president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has vowed not to resign his position despite the N1.4 billion fraud charges levelled against him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a report available in The Punch, the NBA president, who also doubles as a senior advocate of Nigeria, said he has proved his innocence during the executive meeting of the body, adding that he can only be made to resign by NBA executive committee.
Legit.ng gathers that the Usoro was dragged before the Federal High Court by EFCC on Thursdays, November 29, 2018, on 10 charges. The anti-graft commission alleged that Usoro, in cahoots with Governor Emmanuel Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom, siphoned N1.4 billion.
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But in a reaction, the NBA president, addressing journalists, insisted on being innocent. He also added that he cannot afford his reputation to be dragged into mud while performing his legal duties as a lawyer.
He said: “I will be in court on Monday, December 10. I have already made that quite clear. Let me emphasise this: I haven’t been served. I expect that I will be served.
“But I am completely innocent. I presented the facts, as I know them, in the address that was adopted by the NEC. As I have said, you can read the address and you can pick up the facts from there.”
“I will not resign. I consider that it is the national executive committee of the NBA that has the power to decide whether I should remain or not. This matter was presented to the committee. We had a very good and successful meeting and nobody raised the issue in regard to whether I should leave or not.”
Usoro said the allegation was instigated against him by his enemies, adding that he would not condone harassment attempts towards lawyers in the line of their duties.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said that the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) lacked the right to meddle in client-lawyer contractual relationship.
The NBA made the assertion in a communique which was issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
According to the report, the lawyers' association insisted that the fees paid by a client to his lawyer was not only a matter of privilege but also contractual.
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