The Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA) has denied claims that it offered the internet hosting rights for its 2025 Annual Normal Convention (AGC), insisting that the N300 million acquired from the Rivers State Authorities was a “present” and never a transactional fee.
This clarification comes amid a heated row between the NBA and the Rivers State Authorities following the relocation of the convention from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
In an announcement launched on Monday, Emeka Obegolu, chairman of the NBA AGC planning committee, mentioned: “At no time did the NBA promote the internet hosting rights for the AGC to any state. The cash acquired from the Rivers State Authorities was a donation to help the success of the convention, not a fee for internet hosting rights.”
The Rivers State Authorities, now below the administration of sole administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas, had demanded a refund of the N300 million it reportedly paid for the occasion, accusing the NBA of breaching a internet hosting settlement.
“If the NBA is really an organisation guided by rules, it ought to display such by returning the N300 million it collected for internet hosting rights,” the state authorities mentioned in an earlier assertion.
READ ALSO: Rivers Govt Slams NBA Over Convention Relocation, Calls for ₦300m
Tensions escalated after the NBA cited “constitutional violations” and the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers as grounds for transferring the AGC out of the state. President Bola Tinubu declared the emergency in March following political unrest and governance paralysis within the state.
The NBA’s choice has triggered backlash from the Rivers authorities, which views the relocation as politically motivated and a betrayal of its {financial} dedication.
Because the controversy unfolds, authorized observers and civic {groups} have known as for better transparency in how public funds are disbursed for sponsorships and donations to skilled associations.
