From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The National Association of Plants Operators (NAPO) has petitioned three practising lawyers in Rivers State to Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt branch, for alleged compromise in representing the union.
The petitioners also copied the Attorney General of the Federation and Rivers State Attorney General of Commissioner for Justice, as well as Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi and seek for disciplinary measures against three legal practitioners.
NAPO, which is an associate affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria in the petition alleged that Mecha Mecha Kalu and two others compromised in a legal representation committed to them by the association.
The NAPO in the petition which was supported with 58 affidavit and insisted that the lawyers have a clear case of compromise to answer.
National President General of NAPO, Harold Benstowe, who spoke to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, after he presented the petition at the NBA Secretariat, opined that the reasons for the petition was that the under -listed lawyers had taken their matter to the wrong courts, abandoned the suits and as well raised contrary prayers against the wish and request of the association which he said was a clear prove of compromise; hence, the need to investigate them.
The NAPO leader further explained that members of the association were beaten, arrested and arraigned in court on frivolous charges over their stand in unionilisation of workers with two contracting construction companies on the ongoing NLNG transven job in Bonny.
He stated: “Let the leadership of NBA purge the association from the corrupted practices and ensure that the defaulters are sanctioned according to ethics of the profession.”
Reacting to the allegations, Mecha Mecha Kalu, explained to a journalist that he defended the association with his professional experience.
Chike Chukwunyem, in his reaction reportedly took a swipe on the National President of the association and described him as a man without a complete sense of reasoning.