..SAN describes NBA’s action as
collective shame, urges senior lawyers to intervene
The Rivers state government has insisted that the N300 million paid to the Nigerian Bar Association (NB) was for the hosting rights of the 2025 annual general conference (AGC).
The state government, under the leadership of Ibok-Ete Ibas, the sole administrator, rejected the NBA’s description of the payment as a “gift”.
This development is coming as Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, a prominent Lagos-based lawyer, demanded that the Nigerian Bar Association return the funds, condemning the situation as “a collective disgrace.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Hector Igbikiowubo, the senior special assistant on media to the Rivers sole administrator, the statement government threatened legal action against the association if the N300 million is not refunded.
Last Friday, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) announced the relocation of its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu. The association attributed its decision to “constitutional violations” in Rivers following the imposition of emergency rule in the oil-rich state.
President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers on 18th March, citing prolonged political instability. The presidential order suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months. Tinubu subsequently appointed retired Vice-Admiral Ibas as sole administrator.
In response to the NBA’s withdrawal, the Rivers State government demanded a refund of the ₦300 million allegedly paid for the conference hosting rights. Officials challenged the association to “demonstrate its principles” by returning the funds.
However, the NBA countered that the money received was merely a “gesture of goodwill” rather than payment for hosting rights, maintaining that such rights were never commercially traded.
The Rivers government condemned the relocation as “unethical,” arguing that it violated a prior agreement to host the event—a deal expected to deliver substantial economic benefits to the state.
“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 statement reads.
“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.”
The state government said it is willing to engage with professional bodies, including the NBA, but it will not “accommodate exploitation of our people”.
A senior lawyer and human rights advocate, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has demanded the immediate refund of the N300 million “gift” donated by the Rivers State Government to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for its Annual General Conference, describing the transaction as improper and damaging to the legal profession’s integrity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the senior advocate expressed “shock and disbelief” at the NBA’s acceptance of the funds, arguing that lawyers already pay annual practicing fees and conference attendance charges, making external funding unnecessary.
“Lawyers are the conscience of society and must not be seen romancing governments implementing anti-people policies,” Adegboruwa declared. “He who pays the piper dictates the tune. We have no basis retaining this gift.”
The fiery legal practitioner proposed that the NBA immediately deposit the contested sum into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria “pending the restoration of democracy in Rivers State,” emphasizing that “NBA is not a bank.” Should the funds have already been expended, he urged all Senior Advocates and senior lawyers to contribute N1 million each to facilitate repayment.
Adegboruwa’s intervention follows growing controversy over the NBA’s funding sources, with critics arguing the association risks compromising its independence by accepting government donations. His statement called for urgent intervention by the Bar’s elders to “take away this collective shame” and warned the NBA to exercise greater caution in soliciting funds from “all manner of persons and institutions.”
“Lawyers in Nigeria are well endowed to fund any NBA programme,” the SAN asserted, challenging the legal community to uphold higher ethical standards.
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