Rivers State Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, has threatened legal action against the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its failure to refund ₦300 million paid by the state government for the hosting rights of the NBA’s 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC).
In a statement released Monday, Ibas said the funds were disbursed based on a mutual agreement that Rivers State would host the 2025 AGC. He rejected the NBA’s assertion that the payment was a donation, insisting it was a conditional arrangement aimed at bringing economic benefits to the state.
“The decision by the NBA to unilaterally relocate the conference to Enugu and withhold the ₦300 million is not only unethical but a clear breach of trust,” Ibas stated.
He warned that if the NBA fails to promptly refund the sum, the Rivers State Government would be left with no option but to pursue legal measures to recover the money, which he described as the property of the people of Rivers State.
