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, Ibas urged the NBA to
refund N300 million paid by the state for the conference hosting rights.
Ibas also cautioned the NBA against contributing to
unnecessary tension in Rivers State.
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