NBA’s Moral Crisis: The ₦300m Rivers Windfall
By Yahaya Kana Ismaila
On Monday, the newly appointed Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, stirred the hornet’s nest and stopped many fast-flowing conversations in their tracks when he revealed that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had received a ₦300 million payment from the Rivers State Government under Governor Siminalayi Fubara before it was suspended. The funds, according to Ibas, were meant to support the NBA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was initially scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
This revelation hit the public like a thunderclap. The NBA, under its current President Mazi Afam Osigwe, had earlier taken a principled stance by relocating the AGM from Port Harcourt to Enugu. Their rationale? A protest against what they saw as an erosion of democracy, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s controversial suspension of elected government officials across Rivers State including Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The NBA argued that the current leadership structure in Rivers, administered by Ibas, smacks of a military-style takeover, and therefore, holding the event there would send the wrong message.
Fair enough. I understand and even respect the NBA’s decision to steer clear of a state embroiled in constitutional controversy. If their reason for relocating the AGM is truly in defense of democratic values, then that’s a respectable hill to die on. Optics matter, and no credible institution wants to be seen legitimising what may look like autocratic control.
However, what I find difficult to reconcile is the NBA’s refusal or inability to return the ₦300 million paid by the Rivers State Government. In my view, this is where principle begins to give way to hypocrisy.
The NBA’s explanation, which I read carefully, claims that the money was a “gift” and that AGMs are not awarded through a bidding process or influenced by financial incentives from host states. According to this narrative, the money wasn’t a bribe, wasn’t solicited, and should therefore not be returned. But that reasoning is unconvincing, and frankly, it doesn’t hold up to the NBA’s own stated ethical standards.
If your white garment must remain spotless, you don’t stand near the pot of palm oil—much less accept a bowl of it as a “gift.” The NBA cannot claim that it is standing on principle by refusing to host the AGM in Port Harcourt, yet turn around and keep ₦300 million that was specifically meant to support that very same event in that very same city. That’s a clear case of double standards.
Let’s be honest here. That money was not a random act of generosity. It was an investment—an economic and symbolic gesture by the Rivers State Government. The expectation was that hosting the NBA’s AGM would bring thousands of lawyers, journalists, policymakers, and other dignitaries to the city. Local hotels would fill up. Restaurants, transportation services, and Rivers-owned enterprises—especially the state’s airline—stood to benefit immensely. The potential revenue from this event could’ve helped the state recoup the ₦300 million, if not exceed it.
I’m sure sure that many would read several meanings to this piece and who would blame them. Living in a nation like ours where everything is now viewed through political lenses, it’s easy to be distracted by the optics of who gave what to whom and why. But I choose to walk a path that’s guided by fairness, even if I have to walk it alone. And to be fair, the NBA’s conduct in this matter is troubling. Their continued retention of Rivers people’s money is, in my view, both unprincipled and unethical.
Especially since the NBA doesn’t lacks alternatives. The association is populated by some of Nigeria’s wealthiest legal professionals; individuals who can easily write a ₦300 million cheque without batting an eyelid. If indeed the NBA feels strongly about distancing itself from Rivers State due to democratic concerns, then surely, they can muster the same strength to detach themselves from the financial benefits they have received from that same government.
Afam Osigwe, as president of the NBA, should understand that this situation has gone beyond legal technicalities. It’s now a question of integrity. Is the NBA’s conscience worth only ₦300 million? Is that the going rate to blur the lines between principle and opportunism?
If they have already received funds or support from Enugu State for relocating the AGM there—as would be expected for a high-profile event of that magnitude—then the NBA has even less justification to hold on to Rivers’ money. There’s no moral or professional defense for double-dipping.
This, in my humble opinion, is the only credible path left for the NBA to walk if it intends to maintain the public’s respect. Return the money. Make a clean break from any financial entanglement with the Rivers state government if you truly believe it lacks constitutional legitimacy. Anything short of that will continue to taint the NBA’s lofty declarations of principle.
Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, meanwhile, is not mincing words. He has already hinted at possible legal action to recover the money, and he seems determined to follow through. One wonders how the NBA will reconcile the irony of defending itself in court for holding on to funds that it claims it neither solicited nor needed. What precedent will that set? What argument will they advance in defense of a gift that became inconvenient only after they decided to withdraw their event from Port Harcourt?
I wish other Nigerian associations will watch this one and learn a thing or two from it. This saga offers a deeper reflection on how institutions—even those that should uphold the highest ethical standards—can fall into the same murky waters they often criticize others for swimming in. Principles are only as strong as the willingness to abide by them when it’s inconvenient. This time, the NBA may have faltered, but it’s not too late. It can be remedied with a simple wire transfer of ₦300 million to the Rivers state accounts that I’m sure they have.
Yahaya can reached on kanaismail@yahoo.com
