Rivers State’s sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas, has demanded that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) reimburse his administration for the N300 million it spent to host the 2025 Annual General Conference.
The NBA had previously changed its mind about hosting the event in Rivers State, stating that the state’s democratic structures had collapsed and that a state of emergency had been declared. As a result, the event was moved to Enugu.
In response to this development on Monday, Ibas stated, “While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association—despite its ‘principled position’—has not addressed the refund of the N300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government for the hosting rights of the 2025 conference.”
He added, “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.”
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