– Rejects ‘gift’ claim, demands immediate refund or face court action
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Government has threatened legal action against the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, over a N300 million payment initially made in anticipation of hosting the NBA’s 2025 Annual General Conference, AGC, in Port Harcourt.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Sole Administrator on Media, Mr. Hector Igbikiowubo, the state government rejected the NBA’s recent characterization of the N300 million as a “gift” rather than a conference-hosting agreement.
“The Rivers State Government’s records show that the payment of N300 million to the NBA was made with the mutual understanding that Rivers State would host the 2025 edition of the NBA AGC,” the statement read.
“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 AGC in Port Harcourt, is unethical and amounts to a breach of trust.”
The NBA had recently announced the relocation of its 2025 AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu, sparking backlash from the Rivers government, which argued the decision violated prior agreements and deprived the state of significant economic benefits.
“We 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 said.
Warning of imminent legal action, the Rivers State Government has demanded an immediate refund.
“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,” Igbikiowubo stated.
While reaffirming its openness to working with professional bodies, the government emphasized that it “will not accommodate exploitation of our people and the Rivers State Government.”
As of the time of this report, the NBA has not issued a formal response to the state’s threat of legal action.
