Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to immediately refund the N300 million it received from the Rivers State Government as support for its Annual General Conference.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Adegboruwa expressed shock and dismay over the revelation that the state government had disbursed such a large sum to the NBA, describing it as inappropriate and unjustifiable.
“All lawyers in Nigeria pay their practising fees annually. Fees are also charged for those who wish to attend the conference. There is no basis for the NBA to go cap in hand, begging for money to host a conference of lawyers,” Adegboruwa stated.
He warned that the NBA, as the conscience of society and a defender of the rule of law, must not be seen aligning with any government, especially at a time when Nigerians are suffering from economic hardship and alleged human rights abuses.
“Such an organisation should not be seen to be romancing any government, especially in the face of mass suffering due to harsh economic policies and human rights violations. After all, he who pays the piper dictates the tune,” he added.
Adegboruwa insisted that the NBA has no moral or legal grounds to retain the funds and urged the association to return the money without delay.
“The NBA should refund the money immediately. We should not hide under semantics or bureaucracy to retain it. The amount should be paid into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria pending the restoration of democracy in Rivers State. The NBA is not a bank,” he said.
He further urged elders of the legal profession to step in and help salvage what he described as a “collective shame.”
If the funds have already been spent, he proposed that Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other senior lawyers contribute N1 million each to reimburse the government.
Looking ahead, Adegboruwa advised the NBA to be more discerning in its fundraising activities and to rely on the internal capacity of the legal profession.
“Going forward, the NBA should tread cautiously in raising funds from all manner of persons and institutions. Lawyers in Nigeria are well-endowed and capable of funding any NBA programme,” he stated.
The Chairman of the 2025 NBA Conference Planning Committee, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Emeka Obegolu, while reacting to a statement credited to the Administrator of Rivers State that the government had paid for hosting the 2025 NBA Conference, clarified that the decision to hold the conference in Port Harcourt was made in August 2024 and was not subject to any bidding process or payment for hosting rights.
He further explained that, due to the enormous cost of hosting the NBA Conference, the Planning Committee typically approaches organisations, agencies, and state governments for support. He emphasised that the support requested was unconditional and not tied to any hosting rights or privileges.
He asserted that even with such contributions, the host city does not obtain hosting rights, and there is no representation by the NBA that the conference must be held in a chosen city.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government countered the NBA’s claims, stating that the N300 million given was not an unconditional donation. It asserted that the funds were explicitly tied to the state’s hosting of the Annual General Conference.
In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Rivers State Government, Hector Igbikiowubo, the government maintained that its records clearly indicate the funds were tied to the event and warned that legal action would be taken to recover the money if not refunded voluntarily.
