Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN gets commendation for EBF Unity cup support
Legal practitioners and leaders of the Eastern Bar Forum ( EBF) have commended what they described as the invaluable contributions of the Chief Arthur Obi Okafor/ EBF Unity Cup, to the health and unity of among lawyers in the Forum.
Speaking at the end of the Second round of the tournament which is sponsored by Chief Arthurn Obi Okafor, SAN, Chairman of the Sports Committee of the ( EBF) who is also the coordinator of the Chief Arthur Obi Okafor EBF Unity football tournament, Steve Ononye said, “The tournament has achieved the desired peace and unity in the EBF. All these time that we have been playing these matches, from what we have gathered, unity, peace love is now in the EBF and if this continues that way it is going, EBF will be stronger, it has achieved the main purpose which is to unite lawyers within the EBF family.
On the call to make the tournament a national event for the NBA, Ononye said: “I think that it is a good idea because if it goes on national level, more branches will join and more States will also see the health benefits of this tournament because we as lawyers, cannot be going to court only, we cannot only keep ourselves busy with our work as lawyers, we also need to play football, relax and also entertain ourselves which is very important. I also think that it will enhance commitment at the national level
On the next round of the tournament, Ononye said, “ Well, now that we have seen the last match in the second round, we will enter another round which is the 3rd round where we will also only have 10 teams that will play for that 3rd round, thereafter we will go into quarter finals, semi finals and finals.
He said: “43 teams started the tournament, 42 played in the 1st round then 22 teams played in the 2nd half and we have 11 teams remaining after this 11 teams playing and we will get another five teams then we will have what is called best looser that will make it up … players so that we will have the next round which commences on the 13th of May. We have Yenagua will play Okigwe, then Umuahia will play Uyo, Onitsha will play Awka and so on. That is how the 3rd round is fixed.
The Second Vice-President of the NBA, Monday Onyekachi Ubani said, “I tell you that almost every new match presents new exciting moments that you cannot but sit down and watch. I thoroughly enjoyed myself today, especially the match between Okrika and Port Harcourt branch. The match was so exciting and you saw professionalism with the Port Harcourt team, they played according to instructions and I am so excited, it is getting better and better and let me tell you the truth, this football match is good for us because it fosters unity, it fosters love within the circle of the EBF, this provides us opportunity to exercise and interact because it is now obvious that no matter who you are, no matter your professional calling, you must not live a sedatory lifestyle. You must do one form of exercise or the other in order to remain fit and alive, it has actually solved a lot of our problems and I am so happy that a lot of us are are here. I must commend the sponsor of this great tournament in the person of Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN, he has done so well and the organisers of the tournament have been doing so great in this tournament. Any where you go, whether in the Calabar, PortHarcourt or Enugu it very interesting and I am so happy being part of it.
On his views about making the tournament a national programme of the NBA, Ubani said, “ It will be fine to take this wonderful tournament to the national level, it will keep lawyers fit and proper to practice their trade. A lot of us have been dropping dead and if you look at the current quality of lawyers, they eat, they drink and they have time for exercise and so if they embrace football, a game that interest lawyers, I tell you that it will go a long way to improve our health condition especially when we take all the necessary precaution, make sure that the medical team are always around, and make sure that it is not done as if it too competitive or do or die affair which must be won by all means. it is not a match that you must win by all means but to exercise your body to really make sure that we have and share the health benefits that come from active participation in the tournament. So, I am totally in support of the idea of making football one of those games that the NBA introduces at the national level because I know that there is golf tournament which has been on there for a long time. Football can also be added to the games that we should be playing at the NBA at the national level.” Ubani said.
Governor of EBF, E. E. Ekong said : I am very glad because keeping fit is a very important aspect of our health, and we have developed this tournament through our brother, Chief Arthur Obi Okafor ( SAN) to encourage us to be physically fit so that we can perform our professional duties with sound health mentally and physically. Thank God it has been very successful.
On taking the tournent to national NBA, Ekong said: “ Well I will gladly support such a move because it means that the fitness and well being of will spread across all branches of the NBA across Nigeria. That is good for all of us” Ekong stated .
The Deputy Governor of the Eastern Bar Forum, Chief Arthur Elvis Chukwu said: “ In fact, this is a very wonderful game. You will not believe that these people are not professional footballers. It is very entertaining and you can see that everybody is happy, it is achieving its purpose of uniting us further and further in EBF so I feel very happy being here today.
“ It will be a wonderful thing if it can be replicated at the national level, because this is the thing that will gum us together, people will begin to appreciate each other individually. And then we will be able discover better talents. Who said that the NBA cannot reap from there, who said that Nigeria cannot reap from there and also have players from there to the national team. So, think that it is a very good thing” Arthur Chukwu said.
Mba Ukweni, SAN said: But you can see the unity of , you can see the excitement you can see the joy being expressed by lawyers all over it has provided a period and a time for us to come , to recreate and remove our minds from the tedious and stressful rigours of legal practice, to come and recreate and have a happy moment, meet friends , enjoy ourselves so it is a good thing that my brother Chief Arthur Obi Okafor SAN has started, we will all support him to see how he will continue, it is a very interesting endeavour so he needs to be encouraged
On taking it to the national body of lawyers, the NBA, Ukwni said: “ I am fully in support of that”.
Former chairman NBA Lagos branch, Alex Muoka said: “ I am very pleased, I watched today’s match, the two matches it was very interesting. One, I am very impressed with the level of expertise, displayed by two of the four teams who then won the various matches. These are lawyers, I have thought several things, one we have lawyers who have taken physical fitness and sports very seriously, and they practice regularly and also because they have been able to build cohesive teams, it is highly commendable. If we can build cohesive teams like this in sports, then we are sure of building it in our practice and social engagements. On the whole, I will comment the organisers of this tournament .
On the call to take the game to NBA national Muoka said, “Well, I will say immediately that I will support that view but in a slightly different way. This is a regional tournament organized by a regional forum and funded by a Philanthropist so that is clear. I would like to suggest that if other regional fora can organize themselves and begin to play this kind of tournament among themselves, then the eventual winners can then pair off at the national level at the Bar conference that will be fine” Muoka stated.