A big controversy is dogging the 2025 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association as Rivers Administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas demands a refund of N300m donated by the state government.
Ibas is miffed by the decision of the NBA to ditch Port Harcourt in favour of Enugu in protest against the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.
The sole administrator, in a statement through his spokesperson, Hector Igbikiowubo, said while the NBA had every right to choose its conference location, it should not retain funds from a state it has publicly discredited.
“If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits,” the statement read.
The NBA, on its part, insists that the N300 million was not payment for any hosting rights. In a response issued by the Chair of the 2025 AGC Planning Committee, Emeka Obegolu, SAN, the association clarified that the money was a voluntary donation from the stste government and not tied to any formal agreement.
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“There was no bidding process or contract assigning hosting rights. The NBA, in planning its conferences, reaches out to governments and private bodies for support. These funds are treated as sponsorships or gifts,” Obegolu explained.
He stressed that the association would not be dragged into unnecessary controversy and remains committed to delivering a world-class event.
A lawyer familiar with the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that Rivers was not the only state that had supported NBA conferences financially. “Tags, bags and other items have already been branded ‘Rivers 2025,’ resulting in financial losses,” he said.
The NBA justified its decision to relocate the conference as a stand against the breakdown of democratic norms in Rivers. It described the appointment of a sole administrator to replace elected officials as unconstitutional and reflective of military-style governance.
Other voices, including Inibehe Effiong, Jake Epelle, and former governor Ada George, have also criticised the emergency rule and described the current administration in Rivers as illegal.
Crediblenewsng.com
