THE HISTORYOF N.B.A. NNEWI BRANCH

Our History

Before the year 1989, lawyers practising within the territorial limit of the then Nnewi Judicial Division (made up of the present Nnewi and Ihiala Judicial Divisions) of the High Court of Anambra State were members of the Onitsha Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (N.B.A.). From the middle of 1987, lawyers practising within Nnewi Judicial Division began making moves for the formation of Nnewi Branch of the N.B.A. This move was championed by late Barrister A.C. Obiefuna, an Nnewi based legal practitioner who previously was practising in Jos.

On the 23rd day of September,1988 a meeting of the proposed Nnewi Branch held at No. 13 Owerri Road Nnewi where the said A.C. Obiefuna Esq. was nominated and unanimously approved to be the protem chairman while K.O. Onwuekwe Esq was also nominated and unanimously approved as protem Secretary. Before then, in 1987, a formal application was made to the National Executive Committee (N.E.C.) of the N.B.A. for the registration of Nnewi Branch of N.B.A.

At the subsequent meetings of 28th October, 1988 and 16th December, 1988, B.E. Nwangwu Esq. and R.O. Ezenagu Esq. were appointed protem Treasurer and protem Financial Secretary respectively. Then at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the NBA held at Onitsha on the 27th day of January, 1989, the formation of Nnewi Branch of the N.B.A. was formally approved by N.E.C. A census taken by Okey Udegbunam Esq. at the direction of a general meeting showed that lawyers practising within Nnewi Judicial Division at the time of formation of Nnewi Branch stood at 56.

In pursuance of the approval accorded the Branch, the National Secretariat of N.B.A. sent a letter received on 11/3/89 to Nnewi Branch requesting her to indicate interest on whether the Branch would be ready to host the1989 Annual Bar Conference of N.B.A. The members of the young Branch at the meeting held on 11/3/89 humbly declined to host.

Subsequently on 13/5/89 the Branch received a letter reference No. NBA/NEC/3 of 13/4/89 conveying the approval of N.B.A. NEC in writing for the formation of Nnewi Branch. On the same date, 13/5/89, the protem officers of the Branch were confirmed as substantive Branch officers to serve till the end of year. Okey Udegbunam Esq. was added to the list as provost on 8/7/89. Also on 13/10/90, Dr. J.C. Ikenga Metuh was recognized formally as Leader of the Bar in Nnewi Judicial Division.

One significant impetus to the young Branch was hosting of meetings/treats by senior members of the Branch. Such meetings held at the offices and homes of some members. These were A.C. Obiefuna Esq. on 28/10/88; J.B.C. Megwa Esq. on 10/6/89; B.A. Nkemjika Esq. on 8/7/89; B.E. Nwangwu Esq. on 9/9/89; L.A. Mbaso Esq. on 13/10/90; and P.N. Okuma Esq. on 10/11/90.These motivated attendance to and participation in meetings of the Branch by lawyers.