The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has clarified that the N300 million received from the Rivers State Government was a gift and not payment for hosting rights for the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC).
This comes after the Rivers State Government demanded a refund of the money, claiming it was paid for hosting rights.
The controversy arose after the Rivers State Government demanded a refund of the N300 million, claiming it was paid for hosting rights.
The government had expressed disappointment over the NBA’s decision to relocate the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, citing constitutional breaches and breakdown of democratic governance in Rivers State.
In a statement signed by Chairman of the 2025 NBA AGC Planning Committee, Emeka Obegolu, SAN, the NBA clarified that the N300 million received from the Rivers State Government was a gift and not payment for hosting rights.
According to Obegolu, the decision to host the 2025 AGC in Port Harcourt was taken in August 2024 without any bidding process or payment of hosting rights.
The NBA emphasized that there is no concept of “hosting rights” in its conferences, and support from state governments, corporate organizations, and agencies is typically in the form of gifts, partnerships, or sponsorships.
NBA Denies Rivers Government’s Claim Of Paying N300 Million For Hosting Rights is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
