…Solad: Give us back Rivers hosting money
…NBA: It was a gift from Fubara, not hosting fee
The N300m said to have been gifted to the Nigerian Bar Association in aid of their 2025 annual conference has generated verbal fireworks.
Ibok Ekwe Ibas, Sole Administrator of Rivers State, speaking through Hector Igbikiowubo, the newly appointed Senior Special Adviser (SSA) Media, demanded for the refund of the amount said to have been given to the NBA to host the 2025 AGM in Port Harcourt.
Without wasting time, Emeka Ebegolu, the president of the NBA, fired back, saying the money was a gift from the suspended governor, not a hosting fee.
The NBA had scheduled to hold the 2025 NBA again in Port Harcourt as it did some years ago. State of emergency was slammed on Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu soon after the nomination of Port Harcourt. The NBA moved the event to Enugu, siting overthrow of the Constitution in declaring state of emergency with suspension of democratic institutions.
The Sole Administrator fired back through his media aide and called the stand of the NBA as a ‘selective principled stand’.
The state government said: “While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association, despite its ‘principled position’, didn’t address the refund of the N300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government for the hosting rights of the 2025 conference. 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.”
Making an appeal for constructive engagement, the governor noted that the “Rivers State is passing through a challenging but necessary phase in its democratic journey. Rather than contributing to unnecessary tension, we expect the NBA, as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s democracy, to engage constructively, offering solutions instead of amplifying divisive narratives.
Read also: Rivers govt threatens court action against NBA
“The Sole Administrator remains focused on his mandate to stabilize the state and facilitate a smooth return to full constitutional governance. We urge the NBA and other well-meaning Nigerians to support this process in the interest of peace and progress.”
Firing back, Obegolu, while dismissing Ibas demand, maintained that the money which was released under Gov Fubara was a gift that was not tied to any purported hosting right.
The NBA argued in the statement that it was normal for it’s organizing committee, in view of the enormous cost involved in n hosting the Annual General Conference (AGC), to approach organisations, agencies of government, and state governments for support.
The NBA said the decision to host the 2025 AGC in Port Harcourt was taken in August 2024 and was not subject to any bidding process or payment of any hosting right.
The NBA went on: “The host city has no hosting rights, and there is no representation by the NBA that the conference must be held in a chosen city.”
They maintained that different NBA conferences have been supported by different state govts, corporate organizations, ministries, departments, and agencies whose budgets accommodate corporate social responsibility (CSR) and share same vision with the NBA. “Retaining Rivers State as host would amount to tacit endorsement of constitutional violations and subversion of the Rule of Law.”
