Nepotism allegations have continued to swell against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN, following an alle
Nepotism allegations have continued to swell against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN, following an alleged IT contract fraud in the association and recruitment of his nephew, Solomon Magaji, to assist in managing the IT infrastructure of the NBA.
During the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held prior to the commencement of the 2023 NBA Annual General Conference in Abuja, Maikyau addressed the nepotism and contract fraud allegations. He accused an IT consultant, Adams Myshelia Makarios, who was hired by his predecessor, Olumide Akpata, of overbilling the association, defrauding it and downing its server during payment of legal practitioners’ fees.
This, according to Maikyau, cost the NBA so much.
The NBA President said he later engaged an IT consultancy firm owned by Solomon Magaji, his nephew, to address the problem.
He urged the NBA NEC to debunk the fraud and nepotism claims against him, adding that he was financially blessed and would not steal from the association. The NBA President recalled that he personally funded some programmes of the association.
He also urged the NEC to carry out an audit of the IT infrastructure of the association to know the truth about the matter.
“He’s (his nephew) been my IT consultant for over 30 years in my own office. I am not a thief. I am not a crook. You should know that,” Maikyau maintained.
Meanwhile, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, expressed surprise at how the NBA president addressed the claims.
Odinkalu advised the NBA president to step aside and allow for an independent probe of the allegations.
He also criticised the NBA NEC for not asking questions when Maikyau made allegations against the previous IT consultant and defended recruitment of his nephew.
“I was surprised that @YCMaikyauSAN spent over 30 minutes addressing #NEC on a matter in which he admits he has family business interests, making allegations like anyhow when he should have recused himself and asked NEC to constitute an independent investigation.
“I was even more scandalised that no one on the NEC of @NigBarAssoc could tell @YCMaikyauSAN that he was conflicted out of the subject matter and could not proceed the way he was going. This is a pretty squalid advertisement for the NBA & it’s current leadership,” Odinkalu tweeted.
