By Granville Abibo, SAN

DESPITE the clear directives of the Nigerian Bar Association at its Pre-NEC meeting of Sunday, August, 25, 2013 that all lawyers should refrain from comments in the press regarding the issue of the appointment  of acting Chief Judge of River State, my attention has been drawn to a newspaper publication in the Vanguard of August 27, 2013, at page 11 (eleven) thereof issued by Chief O.C.J. Okocha, MFR, SAN, JP, and captioned as above, stating false and misleading facts against my person.

Because silence will not readily be seen and understood to be golden in the circumstance, I am constrained to correct many of the half truths contained in the said publication.

Firstly, it is not true that there are nearly 20 members of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria based in Port Harcourt. The number is precisely 17.

Facts are sacrosanct
It is also completely untrue that Granville Abibo, SAN is the “Most Junior of all the Senior Advocates of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.” There are other Senior Advocates after Granville Abibo, SAN, including one just recently appointed.

It is also not true that I was admitted into the rank of Senior Advocate “just about a year ago.” I was admitted to the distinguished body precisely on August 26, 2011.

Facts are indeed sacrosanct. It may be important to emphasise that the Body of SANs in Port Harcourt consists of all persons admitted to the rank of silk. They are all equal members of that body, albeit with seniority in accordance with the known and fine traditions of the Bar. There is no Junior SAN or Senior SAN. Such divisions in rank do not exist. It is, therefore, most unfortunate to describe any member of that rank “as Most Junior”. All members are distinguished members of the Inner Bar.

Executive members and other senior members of the four branches of the Nigerian Bar Association in Rivers State were invited to a meeting with the acting Chief Judge of the state; and being the only Senior Advocate of Nigeria present in that meeting (four others having previously sent in their apologies) and in keeping with the tradition of the Bar, I was afforded the opportunity to speak, which I did.

It may be instructive to highlight that there has never been a meeting of the Body of SANs in Port Harcourt, for over three years now. The Body is not, has never been and cannot be a one man show.

To my knowledge, there was never any meeting of the Body where a Resolution was agreed upon, to write the newspaper statement under reference, against a distinguished member of that same body.

The said write-up itself, is therefore, self-serving. It may also be important to state that those who find themselves in leadership positions must always go the extra mile to hear all sides on an issue, before reaching unsupportable conclusions. They must act without promoting personal interests. Let the rule of law and justice prevail always.