Nigerian Bar Association has replied Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, following his demand for an Immediate refund of N300 million paid to host the 2025 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that Ibas on Monday, made the request after NBA moved its Conference initially scheduled to be hosted by the oil rich state to Enugu State following the declaration of emergency rule in the state.
Reacting to Rivers’ government in a statement shared by the Chairman of the conference, via NBA’s X page, Emeka Obegolu, clarified that the association of the legal partitioners did not sell hosting rights for the conference.
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He explained that the money paid by Rivers State under the leadership of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was a gift.
READ MORE: Rivers Sole Administrator Demands N300m Refund From NBA After Relocating Conference To Enugu
The statement reads: “The attention of the Annual General Conference planning committee has been drawn to a statement credited to the Administrator of Rivers State to the effect that the Rivers State government paid hosting rights for the hosting of the NBA AGC 2025.
“We wish to clarify that the decision to host the 2025 AGC in Port Harcourt was taken in August 2024 and was not subject to any bidding process or payment of any hosting rights.
“The host city has no hosting rights, and there is no representation by the NBA that the conference must be held in a chosen city.
“Traditionally, because of the enormous cost involved in hosting the AGC, the NBA Conference Planning Committee approaches organisations, agencies of government, and state governments for support, and the support requested is unconditional and not tied to hosting rights or any rights whatsoever.
“The money from Rivers State was a gift and was not tied to any purported hosting right for the NBA AGC.”
