Assemblies Of God Crisis: Rev Emeka Drags Lawyer To NBA, AGF
BY OGBONNA CASMIR, ABAKALIKI – The embattled General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, Rev (Prof) Pual Emeka has dragged a legal practitioner, Eleazar C.N Igbokwe, (Esq.) of “Mastersons Solicitors”, Port-Harcourt before the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Attorney General of the Federation over alleged professional misconduct and felony.
Rev Emeka, whose suspension by the General Council of the Church was upheld by the Supreme Court last year, is accusing Igbokwe of deliberately misquoting and misrepresenting a court ruling as published by a national newspaper, thereby misinforming the general public about his person.
The cleric has been in a protracted legal tussle since 2014 to upturn his suspension by some of the church leaders.
In a petition to NBA and Attorney General of the Federation, dated February 7, 2018, Rev Emeka, through his attorney, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, accused Igbokwe of fragrantly violating Rule 32(3) (F) Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007.
The petition, a copy of which was made available to Forefront in Enugu, also urged the legal authorities to investigate and discipline Igbokwe for violating Rule 32(1) with regard to ‘Candid and Fair Dealing’, which according to him requires that, “In appearing in his professional capacity before a Court or Tribunal, a lawyer shall not deal with the Court, otherwise than candidly and fairly”.
The petitioner insisted that Igbokwe also violated Rule (3) (f), to the effect that “In appearing in his professional capacity before a Court or Tribunal, a lawyer shall not – knowingly misquote the content of a paper, the testimony of a witness, the language of the argument of the opposing counsel, or the language of a decision or a textbook.”
He insisted that Igbokwe knowingly misquoted the content of a Supreme Court decision in the case of Rev (Prof) Paul Emeka vs. Rev (Dr) Chidi Okoroafor and 18 Others (2017) 11 NWLR (PT. 1577) 410.
While attaching the relevant evidence and particulars, the petitioner stated that the misquotation was made in a national newspaper published on August 24, 2017.
“Please do not hesitate to call on the undersigned of this petition to expatiate or furnish you with further information, during your investigations of this case of professional misconduct and breach of the Criminal Procedure Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”,
Okonkwo pleaded.
When contacted, the accused, Barrister Igbokwe said Rev Emeka has already lost with the Supreme having upheld his suspension by the Church leaders.
According to him, “Paul Emeka went to court and not only did he lose, he lost woefully. If they wrote to the Bar Association, the Bar will call me and will show me their petition. If they wrote to the Federal Attorney General, I am not responsible to him. I am only responsible to the NBA.
“I don’t work for government, I work for myself. People should please wake up from their slumber. People should properly clear their heads. Please tell them if they have lawyers working for them they should educate them.
“Who is Paul Emeka? He has been driven out by the Church. We sent him away from the church but unfortunately, he is still going about as the supposed leader, a situation that cannot help him”, Igbokwe said
