SEKONI SAAD ISHIAQ - GEN. SECRETARY ASPIRANT

BEING A MANIFESTOS OF SEKONI SAAD ISIAQ ESQ, L.L.B, B.L FOR THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION, ILORIN BRANCH, 2024-2026.

Mr Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Members of the Executive Council, The Chairman 2024 Electoral Committee of Ilorin Bar, Distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria most especially and importantly our Grand Fathers in this Profession, Learned Professors in the Academic section of the Bar, Doctorate Holder, Bar Leaders, Senior Colleagues and my Brothers. I remain my humble self Sekoni Saad Isaq, Principal Partner in the Office of S.I Sekoni & Co, Astute Chambers founded in the year 2019. I am into full legal Practice and by the virtue of my year of practice I have gathered over a decade experience in various aspect of practice including but not limited to Litigation, Corporate Practice, Commercial Transactions, Dispute Resolution among others. I am a committed financial member of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and dedicated as well as financial member of our dear Branch.

Before I proceed, I believe it will be remiss of me not to give an account of what I have done so far as Treasurer of the branch before I go into my manifestoes. It has been an honor to serve as Treasurer of the Branch when as at the same time Muslim Lawyers Association also gives me mandate to serve as Financial Secretary of the current Executive Committee and I am indeed grateful for the opportunity. I will like to use this avenue to put on record my gratitude for the opportunity to serve in a very sensitive capacity of the duo Association. Having been giving opportunity, I do not take for granted the confidence reposed in me by members of our branch and the support they have given me so far in the discharge of the huge responsibilities of my office.

As Treasurer, my chief responsibility has been to receive, collect, and pay to the Association’s bankers all monies collected for the Association or paid to the Association from any source whatsoever and keep records of such receipts and payments. I knew from the beginning that the key to achieving this was to commit and dedicated to the service of the Bar in order to make sure the activities of the branch is smoothly running. To do this I started by compiled the list of members of our dear branch and sorted out the regular financial members out of the members. I then make sure through some strategies that members who have not being paying were lured without force to pay their Practicing Fees as well as their Branch due.

In fact, a good number of lawyers, including new wigs as well as lawyers out of this jurisdiction will know that the smooth running of the Policy of Legal Instruments and Agreement is being champion by my humble self and to the best of my ability I always make sure the remittance of the percentage is done timeously. And I am glad to use this opportunity to inform you that we have been able to collect over Nine Hundred Million Naira (N900, 000 000: 00) only for our Members and a reasonable amount is as well generated as revenue for the Branch.

Beyond the specific duties of my office as provided in the Uniform Bye Laws, I have played a key role in the management of the branch activities. Immediately the current executive committee members were sworn in to office in July, 2022, the first task facing us was to put up a good performance in the Annual General Conference of that year which was holding in Lagos. With the support of the Chairman and other Executive Members, I coordinate the Transportation to and fro of our members and as well the Accomodation in 2022 Annual General Conference.

As a committed member of the NBA Ilorin Branch, I have served our noble Association relentlessly, gallantly and altruistically in various capacities, As a Young Lawyer, I have served as the Vice Chairman and I serve dedicatedly. Also when I was serving as the Vice Chairman because of my commitment and being the brain behind the idea, I was made to Chair the Committee on Retreat of Young Lawyers which take place at ARMTI among other important role and assignment.

Apart from the elective offices, I have also been appointed to served our dear Branch in various Committee like Welfare Committee, Abuse of Legal Instrument Committee, Dinner Committee among other committees which are too numerous to mention and during my tenure, I discharged my responsibilities in a dignified manner, and offered laudable services and contributions toward the advancement of our dear Association.

It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the current members of the executive committee of the branch particularly the Chairman, Mr. Kamaldeen Gambari Esq whom I have learnt so much from. The Chairman has been relentless in driving the success achieved so far by this administration and I have played my key role in support. Special mention also goes to the other members of the Executive Committee. I am very proud to have been part of this team and prouder of what we have been able to achieve.

So as not to be a judge in my own case, I will leave members of our branch to score my performance as same can only be measured from the viewpoint of members who are the recipients of the services rendered by any executive committee member. I hope that I have to the best of my capabilities performed my duties satisfactorily while acknowledging that there is room for improvement.

There is no doubt about the fact that office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association is the busiest office in the Association, as it is generally referred to as engine room of the NBA and practically speaking, NBA General Secretary is like the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of that organisation. Therefore, a candidate for that office must possess excellent leadership and administrative skills; must be a multitasker, with an eye for detail. Such candidate must be innovative, tech savvy, hardworking and committed to assignments.

Prior to declaration of my intention to run for the Office of the Secretary of the NBA, I had, over the years, gathered many thoughts and ideas on how to make the NBA Secretariat more efficient and vibrant and even as Treasurer I have demonstrated this. My aspiration to serve as the Secretary is, thus, born out of many years of deep reflection and the desire to contribute tremendously to the advancement of the Bar. To this extent, I have enumerated below, my blueprint for the NBA when elected the Secretary. These plans listed are, however, non-exhaustive. My agenda is not only to embark upon and pioneer innovations at the NBA Secretariat, but also to advance and consolidate on the good legacies and reforms introduced by our past and present leaders. As a respecter and promoter of the rule of law, my agenda and responsibilities will be discharged in accordance with the requirements of the NBA Constitution and in a dignified manner. As you will find, my agenda goes “beyond recording minutes” at the Association’s meetings. Indeed, I consider it a great honour and privilege to present to you, my distinguished Colleagues, my agenda for the NBA.

1. Effective Management and Revamping of the NBA Secretariat: The Office of the NBA Secretary is saddled with the enormous responsibility of, amongst others, managing the NBA Secretariat as provided by the NBA Constitution. My plan, therefore, is to revamp the NBA Secretariat and make it more responsive, effective and efficient in line with international and modern best practices. The Secretariat is the engine house of the Association, and I believe if properly and effectively managed, it can reposition the Bar as a force to reckon with both internationally and locally. This is because the NBA Secretariat is entrusted with administrative duties for the Bar. I am not oblivious of the laudable efforts and reforms by the current administration in transforming the NBA into a sustainable institution where I play a very leading role in achieving same. Therefore, when elected as the NBA Secretary, I will advance these reforms and also introduce new ideas for the effective management of the NBA Secretariat. In revamping the Secretariat, I will bring the following ideas and programs to bear;
   1. Effective Records Keeping/Electronic Filing System: I believe effective record keeping in administration is key to the success and sustainability of any organization. Good record keeping is good for institutional memory and progressive development and also helps to improve accountability and transparency in an organization. Therefore, it will be my duty to ensure that the records at the NBA Secretariat are properly kept and managed; the Secretary has the responsibility of recording and keeping the minutes including attendance and summary of all decisions taken at the Executive Meetings, General Meetings and or other meetings of the Association. In addition, the Secretary also has the duty of keeping a roll of members and an up-to-date list of Members.

      It is very vital for these records to be properly filed and stored because future references and decisions may be based on the content of the records, it is now a customary practice for every administration in the NBA to vacate office with the records of their activities. This makes it difficult to achieve transparency and accountability in the NBA. The most grievous part is that, sometimes, the new administration finds it difficult to continue a good project because of unavailability of records. In this regard, I plan to establish a modern, accurate, reliable and easy to follow E-filing system for the NBA records.

   2. An electronic filing system in addition to the old manual system will be utilized in storing our records. During handing over, proper records will be passed on to the incoming administration. I believe this will facilitate the culture of continuity and transparency at the NBA Secretariat. All correspondence received and sent out on behalf of the NBA will be digitally filed. I shall also ensure that records of any of our publications (e.g. leaflets or newsletters) are properly kept electronically. The Reports presented at the various statutory meetings will be properly filed both manually and digitally.
   3. Effective Planning and Organizing of Meetings: I believe that a productive meeting is the ultimate result of how well the meeting was planned and organized. We can no longer afford to subject our members to hardship and stress during our meetings. The Secretary is also saddled with the duty of summoning the General Meeting, Meetings of the Executive Committee or other meetings of the Association on the instruction of the Chairman or in accordance with a previous decision of the General Congress or pursuant to a requisition made in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. When elected as the Secretary, I will work with the NBA Chairman, the Treasurer, the Welfare Officer, the Bar Centre Clerks and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that such meetings are effectively and properly organized.To achieve this, I will ensure, as it is our practice, for the notice and the agenda to be sent out to the attendees in good time. I will liaise with the Welfare Secretary to ensure that Hall or Confererence room is also properly arranged ahead of the meetings. The meeting materials like the minutes of the previous meeting will be circulated to members vide email at least 2 days before the meeting date. This will give them ample time to study the material and effect necessary corrections. I will also ensure that meetings start in good time as scheduled. The practice of commencing meetings some minutes behind scheduled time will not happen under my watch.
   4. Effective Communication and Management of Correspondence: The Secretary shall write and dispatch circulars, letters, and other correspondence of the Association including that of the Branch Executive. Therefore, when I am elected as the Secretary, I will ensure an effective communication and management of our correspondence. As we know, communication is a basis for every endeavour of man; it prompts people to act and think in certain ways and touches every sphere of human activity. I believe that the way an organization communicates through its correspondence has a fundamental impact on the organization, whether on the image, production or quality of the organization. The standard of any organization is measured by their ability or inability to handle correspondence effectively and efficiently. Therefore, my responsibility as the Secretary will be to ensure the expert handling of our correspondence. I will ensure an expeditious response to all correspondence on behalf of the Association, and same will be properly filed.
   5. Prompt Delivery of Members Stamp at the Branch: Learned Senior Advocates, Leaders of our dear Profession, Learned Seniors and My Colleagues. I believe the delay in receiving NBA Stamp from National Secreatariat is worrisome. If mandate is giving to me to serve as the Secreatary, I will make sure your Stamp are receive within a reasonable range of time after the submission of application for same has been made and that can be achieve through maintaining good relationship with the National Body, most especially those in charge of the dispatch of the Stamp and promptly liason with them.
   6. Regulatory Compliance/Due Process: When elected as the Secretary of the NBA Ilorin Branch, I will ensure that the NBA, at all times, adheres to laws, regulations, guidelines and specifications relevant to its operations, given that violations of regulatory compliance may result in legal punishment. As a professional body, particularly one that is constituted with lawyers, I believe we should consistently act in accordance with the requirements of the law. The NBA Secretariat should be at the forefront of regulatory compliance. When elected as the Secretary of the NBA, I will work with the Chairman of the NBA to ensure that our activities are in compliance with the law. I will also entrench the practice of due process at the Secretariat. I will ensure that there is quorum before we hold meetings; elections are conducted in line with stipulated procedure and the NBA’s activities are in line with its objects.
   7. Updating of the Bar Centre Library/Reviving of our Library: Indeed, the importance of a library to a lawyer cannot be overemphasized. It is an indispensable asset to a legal practitioner. Just like a studio is sacrosanct to a musical artiste, the library is very essential to a lawyer. Sadly, the library at the NBA House was well equipped with up-to-date laws, law books and law reports but as a result of poor management it is not well upgraded. How can a law library in the NBA Secretariat not have up-to-date Laws of the Federation and law reports? It is in recognition of the importance of the library that the NBA Constitution in Section 3 (10) makes the establishment of a National Law Library in the Country one of the objectives of the NBA.

   When elected as the Secretary, I will, in collaboration with the NBA Chairman, equip the law library at the NBA Secretariat with up-to-date laws, law reports and law text books on various areas of law and will be monitor accordingly. I believe such project will not only be beneficial to the Secretariat staff but also to our colleagues who wish to use the library. For me, the NBA library should be accessible by all lawyers. There are so many young lawyers who cannot afford to procure law reports or law text books. Lawyers in this category who practice in this jurisdiction could use the resources in the NBA library. I will also advocate for and ensure the establishment of a fully functional e-library for the NBA Secretariat which will be accessible to all lawyers across the Federation.

   8. Entrenching Transparency and Financial Prudence: Transparency, accountability and financial prudence are fundamental features of good governance. When elected as the Secretary, I will ensure that transparency will be the watchword in the management of the Association’s resources including its finances and assets. I shall run the NBA Secretariat in a transparent manner. We shall regularly present the secretarial report to the Executive Members. Auspiciously, the current administration has performed excellently in the area of entrenching the principles of corporate governance in the NBA. In this regard, it will be my duty to sustain and strengthen this laudable legacy.
2. Human Capital Development/ Continuing Legal Education

   As we know, learning is an endless process, and the continuous improvement of skill is a sin qua non for any professional. Apart from the traditional areas of legal practice, we now have emerging areas of law which require specialized knowledge and skills. Nigerian Lawyers must constantly improve their skills to be able to fit into these areas. In this regard, I believe the NBA has a primary role to play in encouraging human capital development and continuing legal education for all lawyers. In fact, one of the Association’s principal objective is the “Promotion and advancement of Legal Education, Continuing Legal Education, Advocacy and Jurisprudence”.

   Legal practice is a very competitive venture amongst lawyers globally. Human capital development and continuing legal education is therefore necessary to advance the level of knowledge and skills of our lawyers so as to be able to compete with lawyers from other jurisdictions. When elected as the Secretary of the NBA, I will work with the NBA Chairman to make human capital development and continuing legal education our priority. I will ensure that a special committee on human capital development is created. The NBA committee on Continuing Legal Education will be strengthened. The NBA Secretariat in collaboration with the NBA Chairman and the Committee will, in addition to other programmes, sponsor training and education on various emerging areas of law. We will foster strategic partnerships with various local and foreign institutions (i.e. exchange programmes), resource persons who are part of the system and major corporate bodies (local and international) that offer specialized courses with a view to providing free or discounted courses for our members.

CONCLUTION

To round things up, I promise to ensure that the secretariat is well run and it meets the needs of our members. As secretary I will be available to entertain any complaints that members have and find quick solutions to them. I shall ensure that staff of the secretariat as well as the Assistant Secretary are alive to their responsibilities and perform same to the satisfaction of our members.

I have a few other ideas that will be implementing if elected as secretary and I intend to work with anybody who emerges as chairman as well as other members of the executive committee to make sure that all that I have said above are implemented as soon as possible. I am under no illusions that all these will be achieved easily but I believe that they are things that can be done especially by our status as the Leading Bar.

Therefore, I seek your support and votes to be the next Secretary of the Branch so that all the above and more can be implemented and we can continue to maintain our Leading status amongst the NBA branches in the country.

Thanks

S.I Sekoni Esq
Candidate for the Office of the Secretary NBA Ilorin,