By Henry Ojelu

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Ernest Ojukwu has asked Paul Usoro, SAN  to temporarily step down as Nigerian Bar Association, NBA chairman, pending the conclusion of his  trail on allegation of N1.4 billion fraud.

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President of the Nigeria Bar Association NBA, Paul Usoro, SAN

Usoro is standing trial  before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on a 10-count-charge of alleged N1.4 billion fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a letter addressed to Usoro and  past presidents of the association, Prof Ojukwu said that the proper thing for Usoro to do now is to step aside and clear his name.

Ojukwu  frowned against attempts to drag the NBA into the trial, saying that the charges are against  Usoro and not the NBA.

He said: “I have read an unsigned statement by Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN dated 19th December, 2018 released as the President NBA on NBA letterhead titled “Purported Money Laundering Charges and Related Matters”.

“In that statement Mr. Usoro, SAN acknowledges that his “current travails have roots, in part, in vendetta missions that go right back to the 2015 Akwa Ibom State Election and the 2016/2017 Code of Conduct Tribunal trials of the Senate President…” and that “EFCC has become a tool for fighting personal and political fights.

“Mr. Usoro, SAN clearly knows and shows as he has acknowledged that the charges of money laundering against him are personal to him. Why is he dragging NBA  into it? Why is he trying to railroad us into a fight with the EFCC for his personal battle?”