Rivers administrator demands N300m refund from NBA after relocating conference

Rivers administrator demands N300m refund from NBA after relocating conference

Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas (Rtd), Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to refund the N300 million his administration paid for the hosting rights of the 2025 Annual General Conference.

The NBA had relocated its scheduled AGC from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu State due to the emergency rule in the state.

President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), in a letter said the initial plan to hold the conference in Port Harcourt was met with widespread enthusiasm, but the state of emergency declared on March 18, 2025, and the appointment of Ibas as the Sole Administrator stalled preparations for the conference.

In response to this development on Monday, Ibas in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday by his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubo, faulted the reason cited by the NBA, describing it as misleading and uncharitable.

He said while the NBA reserves the right to choose a venue for its conference, the association had yet to address the issue of the refund of the hosting rights paid by the state government for the conference.

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“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,” the statement read in part.

He further said President Bola Tinubu, in exercising his constitutional authority, acted in the best interest of the state to restore stability.

The statement added, “The Sole Administrator’s mandate is clear: to oversee a transitional period that ensures the return of full democratic governance in line with the Constitution.

“To suggest that this intervention ‘flouts the rule of law’ is not only incorrect but ignores the Supreme Court’s rulings that have validated key decisions made during this period.

“In the event the NBA is not aware, may we refer the association to the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No. SC/CV/1176/2024 (Rivers State House of Assembly & Others vs. Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) & Nine Others), where the apex court unequivocally ruled that any local government election conducted in violation of the Electoral Act is “unconstitutional, null, and void.”

Rivers administrator demands N300m refund from NBA after relocating conference