Ezekiel Awojide, Abuja
The Rivers State Government has asked the Nigerian Bar Association to match its words and actions with integrity by quickly return the N300 million it allegedly collected from the state for the hosting rights of the legal body’s 2025 annual conference.
It said the legal association should also stop playing into the gallery by reducing what it called a ‘‘complex constitutional matter to political sensationalism.’’
After it rejected the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, the NBA last Friday moved its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt in Rivers to Enugu.
The association said the suspension of the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and the state House of Assembly for six months by President Bola Tinubu was unconstitutional.
It said the sacking, which had received the backing of the National Assembly, was a “constitutional violation”
It, therefore, rejected the appointment of Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state.
But in a statement on Monday, the government said the NBA’s position “overlooks the constitutional basis for the current administration in Rivers state”.
The statement read in part, “Contrary to the NBA’s assertions, the sole administrator has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to restoring democratic institutions as soon as practicable.
“Upholding the constitutional rights of all residents, including freedom of movement, speech, and association. Respecting judicial pronouncements, including those of the Supreme Court, which have guided the administration’s actions.
“The NBA, as a body of legal minds, should know better than to reduce a complex constitutional matter to political sensationalism.
“While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association — despite its ‘principled position’— didn’t 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.”
