The Rivers Government has asked the Nigerian Bar Association to return the N300m it gave NBA for the lawyers’ annual conference earlier scheduled for the state.
NBA had moved the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu citing the suspension of democratic rule in Rivers after collecting N300M from the state in hosting rights.
While Rivers has now condemned the lawyers’ action, it is asking for a refund.
The criticism and demand were passed via a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo.
“While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association—despite its ‘principled position’— failed to 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,” the statement read in part.
