A faction of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, has accused the Chairman of the branch, Dr Mazi Udegbuleme, of misappropriating a whopping ₦100 million grant by the Imo Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the development has split the legal body into two major factions.
An aggrieved faction alleged the lack of transparency and non-disclosure of the receipt, management and utilisation of the largesse by the branch chairman.
It was further learnt that the conflict escalated after several senior lawyers demanded an immediate congress to audit the accounts and investigate the circumstances surrounding the receipt of the government’s donation.
Speaking on the development, a former branch Secretary, Mr Chinedu Agu, told newsmen in Owerri, on Wednesday, that Udegbulem refused to share the grant among members as reportedly done by other branches that received similar grants.
“We have crisis in the NBA because our chairman was given N100 million by the Imo Government on August 24 to share to members, who attended the NBA Conference in Port-Harcourt.
“The chairman did not disclose to us that he received the money and when members started asking questions, he started yanking them off the WhatsApp platform,” Agu said.
He further alleged that during the September 26 meeting of the association, some members were not satisfied with his explanation on how he expended N81 million, instigating a motion for his impeachment.
“A proper proceeding for the chairman’s removal was later initiated, where he set up a committee himself to determine his own matter.
“However, it is against the principles in administrative law, which further instigated the requisitioning of a meeting by over 184 financially up-to-date members.
“The Constitution allows us to requisition a meeting even after the chairman failed to do so,” Agu said.
He explained that the aggrieved members had already begun the chairman’s removal process and had served him with documents to respond within 21 days.
Responding, Udegbulem denied the allegations levelled against him, saying that there were documents to support how the grant was judiciously expended.
He said that he was ready to submit to any forensic examination of the entire financial trail.
He further said that the grant was received into the official branch account and utilised for branch purposes.
He said that part of the money was spent on “necessary logistics” for the Port Harcourt conference as well as projects and other expenditures duly considered and approved by the branch Executive Committee.
Udegbulem, who said he assumed office on June 27, further explained that part of the money was used to register over 300 members into a health insurance scheme.
“The allegation that I personally misappropriated or diverted N100 million is completely unfounded,” he said.
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