The Administrator of Rivers State, Ibokette Ibas, has strongly refuted claims by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) that the ₦300 million payment made by the Rivers State Government was merely a “gift” and not linked to the hosting rights for the NBA’s 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC).
In a response to the NBA’s recent decision to relocate the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, Ibas described the association’s stance as “unethical” and a “breach of trust,” reiterating that the payment was made based on a mutual understanding between both parties.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, Ibas clarified that the ₦300 million was paid with the explicit expectation that Rivers State would host the prestigious NBA event.
“The Rivers State Government entered into this arrangement with the NBA in good faith, with the understanding that hosting the conference would attract significant economic benefits to our state and directly impact the businesses of our people,” the statement read.
Ibas expressed his disappointment over the NBA’s decision to unilaterally relocate the event to Enugu without prior consultation, calling it a violation of the agreement.
The Administrator further warned that failure by the NBA to refund the ₦300 million would compel the state government to take legal action to recover the funds.
He emphasised that while Rivers State is open to partnerships with professional bodies like the NBA, it would not tolerate any exploitation of the state or its people.
“We reaffirm our willingness to engage in partnerships with all professional bodies, including the NBA, but we will not accommodate exploitation of our people and the Rivers State Government,” Igbikiowubo stated.
Ibas urged the NBA to act promptly to resolve the matter amicably and avoid an unnecessary legal confrontation.
The full statement reads, “The Rivers State Government has noted the statement by the NBA on the relocation the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Enugu State.
“The Rivers State Government, however, outrightly rejects the NBA’s recent allegation that the ₦300 million payment made by the state was a “gift”, unrelated to hosting rights for the NBA AGC 2025. For clarity, the Rivers State Government’s records show that the payment of ₦300 million to the NBA was made with the mutual understanding that Rivers State would host the 2025 edition of the NBA AGC.
“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 NBA’s unilateral decision to relocate the AGC 2025 against our mutual understanding and subsequent decision to withhold the ₦300 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 ₦300 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.
“We reaffirm our willingness to engage in partnerships with all professional bodies, including the NBA, but we will not accommodate exploitation of our people and the Rivers State Government.”
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