The Rivers State government has threatened court action to recover it’s N300m from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The state government said it was not true that the amount was a donation but an understanding to make Port Harcourt a host state. The Rivers State Government said it has noted the statement by the NBA on the relocation the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Enugu State.
In a statement by Hector Igbikiowubo, the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on Media to Ibok Ekwe Ibas, Sole Administrator, said the State Government, however, outrightly rejected the NBA’s recent allegation that the ₦300 million payment made by the state was a “gift”, unrelated to hosting rights for the NBA AGC 2025. “For clarity, the Rivers State Government’s records show that the payment of ₦300 million to the NBA was made with the mutual understanding that Rivers State would host the 2025 edition of the NBA AGC.
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“The Rivers State Government entered into this arrangement with the NBA in good faith, with the understanding that hosting the conference in the state would attract significant economic benefits to our state, positively and directly impact the businesses of our people. The NBA’s unilateral decision to relocate the AGC 2025 against our mutual understanding and subsequent decision to withhold the ₦300 million paid for the purpose of hosting the NBA AGC 2025 in Rivers State is unethical and amounts to a breach of trust.”
The statement said failure of the NBA to immediately refund the ₦300 million to the Rivers State Government, would compel the implementation of all legal means to recover the property of the good people of Rivers State.
“We reaffirm our willingness to engage in partnerships with all professional bodies, including the NBA, but we will not accommodate exploitation of our people and the Rivers State Government.”
