NEWS
Wike Labels NBA Conference a “Flop”, Questions Leadership’s Legacy
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has described the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference as a “flop”, accusing the leadership of the professional body of allowing political considerations to overshadow critical issues confronting the legal profession.
Wike made the remarks during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he expressed disappointment over what he described as the direction of the NBA under its current leadership.
According to the minister, the association should remain focused on matters concerning the legal profession, the judiciary and the rule of law, rather than becoming entangled in political activities.
“Instead of concentrating on issues affecting the NBA, they started playing politics,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor also questioned the legacy that would be left by the current NBA president at the end of her tenure. He drew a comparison between the responsibilities of professional leadership and his own role as FCT minister, asking what measurable achievements would define the NBA president’s tenure.
“I will tell the NBA president: what would you say will be your legacy? As the Minister of the FCT, what would I say I have done?” he said.
Wike further disclosed that he had personally explained to the NBA president why he did not support her during the association’s leadership process.
According to him, one of the issues that influenced his position was the decision by the NBA leadership to invite a former governor whom he accused of shutting down the courts in the state for nearly two years.
“I told the current NBA president why I did not support her. She went to invite a former governor of the state who chained and locked up the court for almost two years.
“When you see this kind of thing, you begin to wonder, what kind of NBA is this?”
The minister’s comments are likely to generate further debate within legal and political circles, particularly over the relationship between professional associations, political actors and the judiciary.
Wike, however, also used the media interaction to highlight what he described as the achievements of the Federal Government in the Federal Capital Territory under President Bola Tinubu.
He expressed confidence that projects initiated by the Tinubu administration in Abuja would be completed before the expiration of the administration’s tenure.
“Before this tenure expires, every project started under Bola Tinubu would have been completed,” Wike said.
The FCT minister has repeatedly placed emphasis on infrastructure development in Abuja, with several road, transportation, urban renewal and other projects being undertaken across the nation’s capital.
Defending the administration’s record, Wike challenged critics and political opponents to compare the scale of development under the Tinubu administration with what was achieved by previous governments in the FCT.
“In the history of the FCT, no government has done what we have done in Abuja. I challenge anyone to come out,” he said.
His remarks come amid continuing political and professional debates over the performance of public institutions and leadership bodies in the country, as well as the pace of infrastructure development in Abuja.