By PETER OKOLIE

The Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, Prof. Mazi Udegbulem, says he will not appear before a five-member committee set up by the association to probe his alleged diversion of funds.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri, on Monday, Udegbulem said he would not submit himself to the panel “over concerns of bias and parallel proceedings”, regarding an alleged misappropriation of N100 million Imo Government’s grant to the legal body.

He argued that submitting to the committee, while a three-member panel constituted by the NBA National President, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, was active would amount to insubordination and illegality.

“By the architecture of the NBA, it will be illegal and insubordination to the office of the national president that she set up a committee, but those after me set up theirs,” he said.

Udegbulem alleged that key members of the branch panel had already taken public stances against him on social media platforms, rendering a fair hearing impossible.

“There is no way I can get a fair trial before the man who accused me, calling me a fraudster.

“I have told my president that I will not submit myself to the panel,” he said.

He explained that the N100 million support approved by the Imo Government was paid directly into the official account of the branch and utilised for approved projects.

Udegbulem provided a line-by-line breakdown of how the N100 million grant, received on Aug. 24, was spent, alongside an opening branch balance of N6.35 million.

According to him, total expenditures amounted to N87.4 million on solar installations, air conditioners, seats, and welfare, leaving a balance of N18.9 million.

He explained that N42.18 million was spent on logistics for the body’s Annual General Conference, N17.5 million on a 32KVA solar power system, and N5.41 million on air conditioners.

Other expenditures, he said, included N10.3 million distributed as direct welfare support to 206 branch members and N3.4 million for enrolling 86 members in health insurance scheme.

He also said that N2.24 million was spent to purchase computers, N2.5 million for public address systems, N1.93 million for executive chairs, and N1.95 million for centre repairs.

“Total expenditures stood at N87.43 million, leaving a verified balance of N18.91 million in the official Fidelity Bank account.

“All the projects executed with the funds are fully completed, verified, and open for physical inspection at the Bar Centre in Owerri,” Udegbulem said.

He further said that he had fully submitted all bank records, vouchers, and project documents to the association’s national president’s investigative committee for scrutiny.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the crisis began, following a petition by a former branch General Secretary, Mr Chinedu Agu, accusing Udegbulem of financial misappropriation.

Agu also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and NBA national leadership, alleging that the State Government’s grant was spent without prior approval by the general meeting.

He further alleged that the executive committee carried out unapproved disbursements, thereby compromising the professional independence of the association in the state.

Badejo-Okusanya had earlier constituted a three-member committee to investigate the allegations against Udegbulem.

However, the Owerri branch insisted on setting up its independent committee to work alongside the national committee, citing the lack of confidence in the panel constituted by the national leadership as its reason. (NAN)