By Samuel Olusegun Precious
The ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt has drawn sharp reactions from attending legal practitioners, who have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the city’s poor waste management, high cost of living, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Several delegates openly questioned Port Harcourt’s iconic status as the “Garden City,” lamenting that garbage and degraded roads have largely replaced the lush greenery expected of the state capital.
“Where are the trees?” one disgruntled lawyer asked, highlighting that street-side refuse, skyrocketing food prices, and exorbitant transportation fares have severely marred their conference experience.
Amaechi, Sowore Clash During Presidential Session
The conference also witnessed intense political drama during a panel session featuring presidential candidates and political figures.
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), launched a scathing attack on former Transportation Minister Chibuike Amaechi, who was representing Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sowore urged seasoned politicians who have previously held public office to step aside, explicitly criticizing Amaechi over public expenditure on the uncompleted Rivers State Monorail project during his tenure as governor.
Firing back, Amaechi instructed local lawyers to guide Sowore across the state to inspect the infrastructure projects executed during his administration, telling the activist: “When experienced politicians are talking, just shut up.”
The session also featured Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who addressed the contentious issue of fuel subsidy removal.
When asked whether they would concede defeat following the upcoming presidential election, the candidates gave varied responses, maintaining that their acceptance of the results would depend on the process being strictly free, fair, and credible.
Controversy Surrounds VDM’s Invitation
Adding to the friction, the NBA’s decision to invite controversial social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as “VeryDarkMan” (VDM), to speak at a Tuesday session sparked outrage among attendees.
A significant faction of lawyers expressed anger over his inclusion on the speaker lineup, with several threatening to boycott the session entirely. The decision also triggered heated debates across social media platforms, with supporters arguing that democratic principles guarantee his right to freedom of expression, while critics insisted a legal conference demands a different caliber of resource persons.
