Rivers State Government yesterday insisted that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) must refund the N300 million it received or face a lawsuit.

It countered the NBA’s claims that the money was “an unconditional gift” and not tied to the hosting of its Annual General Conference (AGC) in the state.

The AGC, to be held from August 22 to 28, was originally billed for Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital. 

The association later chose Enugu as the host city in protest against the declaration of emergency in the oil-rich state.

The state government vowed to deploy all legal processes to retrieve the state’s resources if the NBA failed to willingly refund the money.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Sole Administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo, insisted that the records of the government showed that the N300 million was tied to the hosting of the AGC in the state. 

The statement said: “The government rejects the NBA’s allegation that the N300million 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 N300 million to the NBA was made with the mutual understanding that Rivers State would host the 2025 edition of the NBA AGC.

“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 N300 million paid for the purpose of hosting the NBA AGC 2025 in Rivers State is unethical and amounts to a breach of trust.

“Failure of the NBA to immediately refund the N300 million to the Rivers State Government will 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.”

Also, stakeholders faulted the NBA for relocating its annual conference from Port Harcourt after collecting N300m from the state government.

They called on the leadership of the legal body to immediately redeem the association’s image by refunding the money.

The commentators described the position of the NBA that the money was an unconditional gift as odious and irresponsible, insisting that the government paid the money to attract some economic and social benefits to Rivers people. 

A former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, said the NBA missed the point and squandered a platform it would have used to speak to power on its position concerning Rivers.

Eradiri advised the body to return the money to Rivers warning that failure to do so would bring an integrity crisis to the association.

He said: “The NBA should return the money since they have relocated the conference. 

“I don’t think the management of the NBA was right to have moved that conference.

Read Also: Ibas denies reported recruitment of 10,000 workers

“It would have been a landmark opportunity to express their grievances over it. But the NBA seems to be blowing hot and cold.

“The honourable thing is to return the money. This money is not (suspended Governor Siminalayi) Fubara’s money, it is Rivers State money. 

“If you collected money for a purpose and you are no longer going to carry out that purpose, you should honourably return the money. The NBA is losing its integrity.”

A former Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, a lawyer, called for the immediate resignation of the NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN).

He was of the opinion that Osigwe had brought the legal profession to disrepute. 

He insisted that the money should be refunded because it was not even budgeted for by virtue of the Supreme Court’s judgment.

He said: “How many other states contributed to the hosting of an NBA conference? Where was the NBA when a governor of a state recklessly demolished an arm of government?

“Afam Osigwe didn’t make any statement. Where was the NBA when a governor of a state presented a budget to three members of a state Assembly? The NBA didn’t say anything. 

“More worrisome is that the N300 million they gave to the NBA was not appropriated. And as lawyers, we ought to know that.

“The best thing for Afam to do is to refund that money. Let’s assume the Sole Administrator hired him as a lawyer to get this money from the NBA, what will be his defence?

“I am asking him to step down. He has made the NBA a beggarly organisation. But we are not. Lawyers are aristocrats. Let them refund the money to Rivers government because it was not appropriated and he should resign. 

“Agreement is agreement. How many millions did the Enugu State Government give to them to take the conference to Enugu?

“I am a member of the NBA and I pay my dues and this is how lawyers all over the federation pay their dues. We also pay conference dues. So, Afam has no reason to be going around to be begging for money.”

The President of the Movement for Izon Ethnic Nationalities in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Amb. Kennedy Tonjo-West said the defence of the NBA did not hold any water. 

“The claim that a whole N300 million is an unconditional gift doesn’t hold any water. If they felt that democratic governance is lacking in Rivers, the best is to still hold the programme. If you feel you want to relocate it, you must let go of the cash.”

A former Publicity Secretary, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Ebilade Ekerefe, said the primary reason the money was given to NBA was to enable Rivers to host the conference.

He said: “If for whatever reason they are relocating the conference to Enugu, the honourable thing is to refund the money. There is no better way to put it. 

“It is Rivers State money and the reason it was given to them was for the NBA to invest the money in Rivers so that Rivers people can benefit.

“If they are moving the programme to Enugu and you are taking the money along, it is capital flight. NBA is an honourable organisation and has a reputation it built over the years. The society is watching.

“If you collect that money without organising the programme in Rivers it will look like the Rivers government is being swindled. It is not Sim Fubara’s money. The money belongs to Rivers. 

“It is not the first time Rivers has hosted the conference. They had done it before and we saw the impact.

“Nobody is saying that you should not pull out of Rivers. If you are doing so, return the money because the money belongs to Rivers people. It doesn’t belong to the sole Administrator or to Fubara.”

NBA’s position

NBA declined comments yesterday on Rivers government’s threat to sue.

In a statement by its AGC 2025 Planning Committee Chair Emeka Obegolu (SAN) on Monday, it clarified 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 rights.

NBA said: “The host city has no hosting right and there is no representation by the NBA that the Conference must be held in a chosen city. 

“Traditionally, because of the enormous cost involved in hosting the AGC, NBA Conference Planning Committee approaches organisations, agencies of government and state governments for support and the support requested is unconditional and not tied to hosting rights or any rights whatsoever.

“Recent NBA conferences have been supported by different state governments, corporate organisations, ministries, departments and agencies whose budgets accommodate corporate social responsibilities and share the same vision with NBA.

“Such financial support is in the form of gifts, partnerships or sponsorships. The money from Rivers State was a gift and was not tied to any purported hosting right for the NBA AGC. 

“We are committed to delivering a world-class conference to members of the Bar and will not be drawn into any unnecessary controversy over this issue.”