SPIDEL Exco Shuns NBA-NEC, Proceeds With Suit Against Police Licence
The executives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) have resolved to proceed with the suit challenging the police vehicle database licence and others.
The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA-NEC) led by Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) had earlier announced the suspension of the SPIDEL executives led by John Aikpokpo-Martins over unauthorised actions beyond the section’s mandate and undermining his office.
The NBA-NEC constituted a caretaker committee with a directive to withdraw all the public interest court cases that the outgoing SPIDEL executives filed, including the suit challenging the actions of the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and music promoter, Kenny Ogungbe for alleged breach of the NYSC Act.
In the resolution dated March 1, 2024, and signed by the SPIDEL secretary, Funmi Adeogun, the body said they vehemently disagree with the NBA-NEC’s purported decision, adding that the pending cases were based on public interests to address impunity in the country.
“The executive committee notes that the reported decision was taken in clear breach of a subsisting order of a Delta State High Court directing NBA to appear in court on Monday, March 4, 2024, to show cause why an injunction should not be granted against it; that the reported decision by NBA-NEC also breached the hallowed principle of lis pendens and has foisted a state of helplessness on the court and undermined its dignity,” they said.
The SPIDEL had further filed suits against the Lagos State government over their ‘No Inspection, No Certificate of Roadworthiness’ rule; the latest being the suit challenging the police Central Motor Registry Information System Certificate (CMRIS) for proof of vehicle ownership fee of N6,000.
