The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has replied Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, following his demand for a refund of the N300 million paid to host the 2025 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
The NBA's response was contained in a statement on Monday by the chairman of the conference, Emeka Obegolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
According to him, the NBA did not sell hosting rights for the conference.
He explained that the money paid by Rivers State under the leadership of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was a gift.
“The attention of the Annual General Conference planning committee has been drawn to a statement credited to the Administrator of Rivers State to the effect that the Rivers State government paid hosting rights for the hosting of the NBA AGC 2025.
“We wish to clarify that 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. 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.
“Traditionally, because of the enormous cost involved in hosting the AGC, the 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.
“The money from Rivers State was a gift and was not tied to any purported hosting right for the NBA AGC,” he stated in a statement released on the NBA X account on Monday.
Recall that on Thursday last week, the NBA announced that it had shifted its 2025 AGC, earlier scheduled for Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu State due to the emergency rule.
However, in a statement on Monday, paid by the state for the conference hosting rights.
Ibas also cautioned the NBA against contributing to unnecessary tension in Rivers State.
