The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NBA

  • NBA defends relocation of conference from Rivers to Enugu

    NBA defends relocation of conference from Rivers to Enugu

    …association keeps mum on calls to return Rivers N300m grant 

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has defended its decision to move its 2025 Annual Conference from Rivers State to Enugu, citing the conduct of the state’s Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd), as a key reason for the relocation.

    In a statement jointly signed by the chairmen of its eight branches in Rivers, the NBA said the current political climate in the state no longer aligns with the values and expectations of the legal community.

    However, the association did not respond to growing calls for the return of the N300 million allegedly received from the Rivers State Government for hosting the event in Port Harcourt.

    The NBA also criticized what it described as the failure of promised peace-building efforts by the President to restore democratic governance in the state, stating that such efforts had yet to materialise.

    The statement said: “Rather than the peace-building efforts that was promised by the President, tension has steadily escalated in Rivers State, arbitrariness and impunity have been displayed on a daily basis and democratic institutions have been demobilized in a gestapo, military style.

    “Political appointments are being made by the Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas with military fiat, without approval being sought from the National Assembly or any known legal institution for that matter. 

    “In all of these happenings, there has been no sign or any word from the so-called Peace or Reconciliation Committee supposedly set up to resolve the political impasse. It has gradually become clear that the leadership of our state has been hijacked to serve specific interests, without due regard for the peace and stability of the state, the economy of the state or the nation for that matter, and the well-being of the people of Rivers State.”

    The NBA said its understanding was that the intendment of the declaration of the state of emergency by the President and his appointment of the Sole Administrator, was for the maintenance of the peace and security in the state; to secure the pipelines and related facilities from being blown up and to prevent attacks on them that would sabotage the overall economic interest of the Country.

    But it insisted that the Sole Administrator had overstepped his bounds by dissolving and reconstituting established democratic institutions of the state such as boards, agencies, councils, commissions and parastatals among others.

    NBA said: ” The mandate of the Sole Administrator in our view also does not extend to the preparation or presentation of any budget, especially for infrastructural development in the state; and certainly does not cover for the appointment of administrators for the 23 local government areas in the state, in further violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Judgments of the Courts that Local Government Councils cannot be headed by appointed administrators but by duly elected chairmen.

    “The release of the State’s allocation by the Federal Government to the Sole Administrator upon his assumption of office, against the decision in the Supreme Court Judgment of 28th February, 2025 and without a proper Appropriation Bill passed and signed into law, or the election of Local Government Chairmen, which were the accusations levelled against the suspended State Governor, is baffling and points clearly to a selective implementation of the said Judgment of the Supreme Court by the Federal Government.

    The cumulative effect of the above actions of the Sole Administrator,are clearly at variance with the Rule of Law and are capable of causing a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State as tensions escalate,uncertainty pervades the air and members of the

    society feel compelled to react to the situation and voice their displeasures.

    Read Also: Why NBA should refund N300m to Rivers, by Banwo, Adegboruwa

    “The actions of the Sole Administrator have also become one of the reasons for the unfortunate relocation of the venue of the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association from Rivers State to Enugu State,leading to an immeasurable colossal loss to businesses in Rivers State,especially the hospitality Industry,and loss of job

    opportunities for the period.The conference was expected to cater for up to 30,000 lawyers,thereby boosting the economy of the State,but has now been

    sadly impacted by fallouts from the declared State of Emergency”.

    The NBA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to rein-in the Sole Administrator and ensure he kept within the mandate given to him on

    his appointment to save River from further crisis.

    “We also urge the Presidency to

    do everything within its power,in line with the Rule of Law,to ensure the return of full democratic governance to the State on or before the 6(Six)months tenure of the Sole Administrator.

    “We call on the Peace or Reconciliation Committee of the National Assembly to swing into action and dispassionately carry out its role of reconciliation and peace-building in Rivers State to avoid further economic losses and degeneration of the political crisis and

    escalation of tension in the State”, NBA said.

    The NBA said it empathised with the business owners affected by “the unfortunate relocation of the NBA

    Annual General Conference from Rivers to Enugu and urged them to remain law

    abiding and continue to seek legal means of redress in resolution of disputes.

    Those who signed the statement are 

    Cordelia U.Eke, Chairman, Port Harcourt Branch; Dr. Hilda Desmond-lhekaire,

    Chairman Ahoada Branch; Simple Dioha,

    Chairman, Isiokpo Branch; Abiye A.Abo,

    Chairman, Degema Branch;Dr.N.A.Duson,

    Chairman, Bori Branch; Dr.C.N,Nwankwo

    Chairman,Okehi Branch, Tampons A.Roberts, Chairman,Okrika Branch and

    Ekeledinichukwu Ordu, Chairman,Omoku Branch.

  • Why NBA must be the adult in the room

    Why NBA must be the adult in the room

    • By ESV Bukola Ajisola

    Sir: Barring a last minute change of course by either the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) or the Rivers State government, the heated kerfuffle over the N300 million supposed handout to the NBA is primed to become a matter for litigation before the courts.

    The contentious money was said to have been donated by suspended Sim Fubara’s administration to the NBA for the proposed hosting of NBA’s Annual General Conference (AGC) in Port Harcourt, a donation which the NBA would rather categorize as a largesse given out with no strings attached.

    Whilst the NBA is within its professional rights to receive donations from states and corporate concerns, a burden of proof is required of the NBA to establish a non-quid pro quo grounds for payment of such magnitude of money by Rivers State.

    Read Also: Alleged defamation: Yahaya Bello petitions IGP, demands investigation, prosecution of Natasha

    Adjacent to this is the fleeing alibis of denying Rivers the hosting rights based on the declaration of State of Emergency in the state, a denouement completely extraneous to Rivers State but within the purview of the federal government and the National Assembly.

    The question is whether it is lawful for Rivers State to be punished by the NBA on the issue of State of Emergency by denying the state hosting rights to the conference and whether the NBA, an association that is revered as the custodian of law, order and propriety has any moral justification to hold on to the N300 million?

    The NBA must be guided by the legal maxim “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”. This maxim in equity means that a person seeking an equitable remedy must have acted fairly and without wrongdoing regarding the matter either in dispute or in public opinion.

    The NBA doesn’t need to enmesh itself in public opprobrium as doubling down on keeping Rivers’ money and taking the hosting rights away from her is certainly beyond the pale.

    •ESV Bukola Ajisola,

    bukymany@yahoo.com

  • NBA should return Rivers’ money now!

    NBA should return Rivers’ money now!

    • By Nelson Ekujumi

    Sir: Following the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)’s decision to change the venue of its Annual General Conference (NGC) from Rivers State on the grounds of “principles of being custodians of the rule of law and the constitution” which naturally is what the body of lawyers should represent, the sole administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas must have stunned Nigerians and the rest of the world when he urged the NBA to as a matter of principle, return the whooping sum of N300 million collected from the suspended governor, Sim Fubara for the hosting rights of the AGC by Rivers State.

    In response, the NBA has stated that the money in question was a gift from the Rivers State government for the AGC and not predicated on hosting rights. In any case, it is customary for individuals, groups and organizations to solicit government support and financial assistance in organizing programmes and events just as it is the prerogative of governments to either acquiesce or decline such request; by this action, no crime has apparently been committed from both ends of the divide.

    Read Also: Rivers: Only police, EFCC, ICPC can probe Fubara, says Ahamba

    But the indisputable truth is that the donation by the Rivers State government was because the state was going to host it and nothing else. This is where the insistence by a school of thought that the money should not be returned to the coffers to Rivers State government because it was obtained from a democratically elected government flies in the face of law, logic and rationality.

    Asides, if the NBA is meant to be taken seriously on its claims of being the custodian of the rule of law and our constitution, merely by virtue of the ruling of the Supreme Court that no democratic government existed in Rivers State as a result of the actions of the suspended governor, Sim Fubara, when he behaved like a despot by muscling the legislature which is the bastion of democracy, going as far as unilaterally spending public funds without legislative scrutiny and approval as prescribed by law, the NBA ought to have joined the apex court in deploring the illegality that amounted to gross misconduct and gross violations of our laws.

    Should the esteemed body have glossed over the fact that the governor acted illegitimately and unconstitutionally and in brazen violations of his oath of office and the constitution?

    Point is: if the Rivers State peoples money has been donated illegally by the suspended governor, common sense, logic, morality and rationality demands that once that same AGC was moved out of Rivers State to another state for any reason, then the sensible and logical thing to do is for the NBA to wash its hands clean of Rivers State money by returning it.

    Anything outside of this, no matter the braggadocio that is being exhibited by the leadership of the NBA and its supporters will forever erode the credibility and integrity of the organization in the eyes of Nigerian people and beyond.

    NBA, please return Rivers State N300 million now!

    •Nelson Ekujumi,

    ekujuminel@yahoo.com

  • Senior lawyers disagree on how NBA source money for conference

    Senior lawyers disagree on how NBA source money for conference

    Two senior lawyers yesterday disagreed on the appropriateness of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) sourcing money from government to hold its conferences.

    Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), Dr. Monday Ubani (SAN), supported it. Activist lawyer Jiti Ogunye faulted the association for sourcing funds outside those accruing from its members.

    Ubani argued that there is nothing immoral or unethical about what NBA has done stressing that the money from Rivers State Government was not for hosting the conference but a gift to take care of logistics like security.

    Besides, he said the money in question was not from the present administration but that of the administration of suspended Governor Siminialayi Fubura.

    “The NBA has given a response on the matter and my view is not different from what NBA has said. They have given reasons for the money”, Ubani said.

    Ogunye, who differed on the matter, insisted that the NBA should not be seen going cap in hand to beg for money from governments.

    Read Also; Full list of winners, nominees of 2025 OSCARS

    He said: “Receiving money from government will compromise NBA’s ability to react to issues and maintain neutral positions more so when government they ask for money violates the rule of law or breach the constitution or things NBA may frown upon. NBA may not be able to maintain neutral stand.”

    The lawyer argued that they have always admonish against NBA going cap in hand to government agencies to raise fund in the name of organising conferences.

    He said NBA conferences are and should be organize on the basis of membership contribution and special payments for conferences and conference materials.

    He contended that while it is easy to account for money collected and paid by members, it has always been difficult for NBA conference committee for AGC to account for monetary gifts.

    He said the last AGC witnessed the executives fighting over such issue stressing that it is easier to account for annual dues and practice fees depending on criteria used.

    Ogunye insisted that the NBA should stand  for rule of law, accountability and probity.

    “When NBA goes for N400million, was it budgeted for? What is that budget for? Why should the NBA, given all it stands for, be promoting extra-budgetary spending?”, he asked.

    Ogunye contended that NBA has members who are rich enough to contribute all the funds required for the body’s conference.

  • NBA: N300m collected from Rivers ‘unconditional gift’

    NBA: N300m collected from Rivers ‘unconditional gift’

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday admitted collecting N300 million from the Rivers State Government while planning its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) initially billed for Port Harcourt.

    This followed the demand  by Rivers State Sole Administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas that the money, approved by suspended Governor Siminialayi Fubara, be refunded.

    However, the NBA said the cash was “an unconditional gift”, not payment to facilitate the conference.

    The government in a statement by Hector Igbikiowubo, the media aide to Vice Admiral Ibas faulted the reasons given by the NBA for the relocation of its conference after receiving the money.

    The statement reads: “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.

    Read Also: Full list of 24 qualified countries for AFCON 2025

    “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in exercising his constitutional authority, acted in the best interest of the state to restore stability.

    “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 was not aware, the association should consult 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.

     “The NBA, as a body of legal minds, should know better than to reduce a complex constitutional matter to political sensationalism.

    “Rivers State is passing through a challenging but necessary phase in its democratic journey. Rather than contributing to unnecessary tension, we expect the NBA- as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s democracy – to engage constructively, offering solutions instead of amplifying divisive narratives.

    “The Sole Administrator remains focused on his mandate to stabilise the state and facilitate a smooth return to full constitutional governance. We urge the NBA and other well-meaning Nigerians to support this process in the interest of peace and progress.”

    The NBA had moved its forthcoming AGC to Enugu following the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, a development that occasioned the refund demand by the Rivers government.

    In a statement by its AGC 2025 Planning Committee Chair Emeka Obegolu (SAN), the NBA said: “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.

     “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 organizations, 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.”

  • NBA did not receive money from Rivers Sole Administrator, says Adeyanju

    NBA did not receive money from Rivers Sole Administrator, says Adeyanju

    Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has dismissed claims that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) received financial support from the Rivers State Government in connection with the now-relocated 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC), calling the allegations false, misleading, and politically motivated.

    Adeyanju was responding to a social media statement attributed to the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), who accused the NBA of hypocrisy over its decision to move the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

    In a statement released on Sunday, Adeyanju clarified that the NBA neither solicited nor received any funding from the current Rivers State administration. He emphasized that the decision to relocate the conference was a principled stance in defence of constitutional democracy.

    He debunked the claim that Rivers State was denied any “hosting rights,” stating that no state is entitled to host NBA conferences as a matter of right. Rather, he explained, the choice of host city is based on factors such as infrastructure, logistics, accessibility, and security, as determined by the NBA’s National Executive Committee.

    “That Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt have frequently hosted the AGC is a matter of capacity, not entitlement,” Adeyanju said. “The narrative suggesting Rivers was unjustly stripped of a right is both constitutionally incoherent and historically inaccurate.”

    He also refuted suggestions that Rivers State’s financial donations should influence the NBA’s decisions, asserting that the Association is an independent professional body, not a “mercantile contractor.”

    Adeyanju cited the 2023 AGC held in Abuja, which received no financial input from the Federal Capital Territory Administration, as evidence of the NBA’s independence.

    “The insinuation that states can buy influence or secure hosting rights through donations is a dangerous one. The NBA must continue to show it is immune to inducement,” he warned.

    On the reported N300 million contribution by the Rivers State Government, Adeyanju clarified that it was made under the previous, democratically elected administration, not the current one, which he described as “widely viewed as unconstitutional and antithetical to the rule of law.”

    He argued that proceeding with the AGC in Port Harcourt under the present circumstances would amount to endorsing unconstitutional governance — a move that could undermine the NBA’s credibility as a defender of democracy.

    Read Also: Emergency Rule: NBA leadership not fighting enough for our democracy — Centre claims

    Adeyanju urged the NBA not to yield to pressure or “blackmail and gaslighting,” stressing that its legitimacy lies in upholding constitutional principles, not in how much it receives from governments.

    “The NBA must not be bullied into reversing its principled decision. Any attempt to weaponize public sentiment is simply a distraction from the real issue — the imposition of undemocratic governance in Rivers State,” he said.

    He concluded by commending the NBA for relocating the 2025 AGC to Enugu and encouraged the Association to remain firm in its defence of constitutional order.

    “This is not a repudiation of the people or lawyers of Rivers State, who remain our colleagues and brothers,” he said. “It is a rejection of unconstitutional governance. We are lawyers. We are defenders of the rule of law. And we must not retreat.”

  • NBA: N300m a non-refundable gift, not hosting payment

    NBA: N300m a non-refundable gift, not hosting payment

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has clarified that the N300 million it received from Rivers State is a gift and not payment for hosting rights to its annual general conference (AGC).

    NBA had moved its forthcoming conference to Enugu State following the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

    The Rivers government on Monday demanded a refund of the N300 million from the NBA.

    NBA, in a statement by its AGC 2025 Planning Committee Chair Emeka Obegolu (SAN), said: “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 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 Portharcourt 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 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.

    Read Also: Emergency Rule: NBA leadership not fighting enough for our democracy — Centre claims

    “Recent NBA conferences have been supported by different state governments, corporate organizations, 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.”

  • Rivers’ political actors to be blamed for crisis, says NBA president Osigwe

    Rivers’ political actors to be blamed for crisis, says NBA president Osigwe

    The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) Afam Osigwe (SAN) has blamed the political crisis in Rivers State on the ego of the political actors involved.

    Osigwe said the problem resulted from the ego of the principal actors who failed to see the need to sit down to find a solution that works for the benefit of people of the state.

    The NBA president spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a news conference organised by NBA’s Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP) to herald its annual conference scheduled for between April 24 and 27 in Jos, Plateau State.

    Osigwe said blaming the Supreme Court or any other body will not solve the problem.

    He added: “If the actors had placed Rivers above their own personal interests and cared about the security and welfare of the people, we would not be where we are.

    “It became an ego fight and an issue of who wins. So, ego is at the base of the problem in Rivers and not the Supreme Court.

    “People get judgments from the court and still decide to go for an amicable solution, so it is not the judgment of the Supreme Court but the principal actors that are to be blamed,’’ Osigwe said.

    He added that while the NBA was not in a legal argument with the president, the association was of the view that some of the actions taken may not be supported by the constitution.

    “We are of the opinion that Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution cannot be read in isolation from Section 11 of the same constitution.

    “There have been killings in many states in Nigeria and much more breakdown of law and order than we have seen in Rivers but no state of emergency was declared in those states.

    “We are of the view that the problem in Rivers can be solved by the principal actors swallowing their egos and putting the welfare and security of the people of Rivers above their personal interests.

    “This declaration may not solve the problem in Rivers and it worries me that an administrator can be appointed and worse still a retired military officer to administer the state.

    “It is unconstitutional and should not be supported because we may be setting a dangerous precedent,’’ Osigwe said.

    Read Also: Fagbemi, Osigwe ask courts to promote peace, development via judgments

    Earlier, the Chairman, Conference Planning Committee (CPC), Paul Ogbole (SAN) said the NBA-SLP’s 2025 annual conference has as its theme: :”Uncommon challenges in a rapidly changing legal environment.”

    Ogbole said the gathering “aims to explore the contemporary challenges evolving in the legal environment, the impact of global interconnectedness on legal systems, the growing demand for specialized legal services and provide insights into navigating the legal frontiers. 

    “This event will also highlight great opportunities for legal practitioners, including the development of legal tech solutions, the expansion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and the increasing focus on access to justice and legal empowerment initiatives.

    “It is also important to note that legal professionals must embrace a culture of continuous learning, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and adopt a client-centric approach to navigate the complexities of the modern legal landscape successfully. 

    “Therefore, this year’s conference promises to provide a space for legal practitioners to engage in this ongoing learning process, collaboration and mentorship, expanding client base, professional development, exposure to new ideas and technologies, and continuing education credits,” he said.

    Ogbole, who hailed the Plateau State Government for its support, said the conference will also feature “robust and enriching activities specially crafted for young lawyers at this conference.”

  • NBA to host national discourse on council autonomy

    NBA to host national discourse on council autonomy

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is set to host a state-of-the-nation discourse on local government financial autonomy.

    It said the critical conversation is aimed at ensuring full compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment on council autonomy  The event will take place on Wednesday at the NBA House, 1101 Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja.

    Read Also: Killing: NBA urges lawyers to be vigilant

    NBA General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, said in a statement that the high-level engagement will bring together governors, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), civil society organisations (CSOs), and the public.

    They will interrogate the challenges hindering the full implementation of this landmark decision.

  • Killing: NBA urges lawyers to be vigilant

    Killing: NBA urges lawyers to be vigilant

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged lawyers to be vigilant and security conscious.

    It expressed deep sadness and outrage over the murder of a member, Mr. Chinedu Nwowu.

    He was killed in Mgbidi, Imo State.

    NBA, in a statement by its president Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), said: “This heinous act is not only a grievous loss to his family, friends, and colleagues but also an assault on the legal profession and humanity.

    “This unfortunate incident once again raises serious concerns about the security and safety of citizens across the country.

    “The NBA unequivocally condemns this senseless act of violence and calls on the relevant security agencies to expedite their investigation and ensure that those responsible for this atrocious crime are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

    “In furtherance of our commitment to justice, the NBA hereby directs its branches in Imo State to immediately collaborate with law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and other stakeholders to unravel the circumstances surrounding Mr. Nwowu’s murder.

    Read Also: NBA raises committee on conflicting judgments

    “We demand that the perpetrators of this dastardly act face the full wrath of the law.

    “The NBA also urges all members to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard their personal security while discharging their professional duties.

    “The association remains resolute in working with the authorities to ensure that the legal profession continues to operate in an environment free from fear and intimidation.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Chinedu Nwowu during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.”