Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) received a substantial gift of N300 million from the suspended government of Siminalayi Fubara.
Gatekeepers News reports that he suggested that this financial support influenced the NBA’s lack of opposition to the emergency rule imposed in Rivers State.
Wike made these comments during a media session on Friday, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers and the suspension of Fubara and several officials for a period of six months.
In light of Fubara’s suspension, the NBA announced a change in venue for its Annual General Conference 2025, moving it from Port Harcourt to Enugu State. The NBA has consistently voiced its opposition to the emergency rule, labeling it as unconstitutional.
In a recent statement, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, called on the NBA to return the N300 million received from the state government for hosting the conference. In response, the NBA said the financial contribution was a gift.
Reacting, Wike said the N300 million gift was not appropriated, describing it as illegal.
“On the NBA matter, it is unfortunate. How will the NBA back Rivers emergency rule when they collected gifts? When the Body of Benchers came to see me, I told them. When the Justice gave judgement about local government, the NBA came out and condemned it without reading the judgement. The president declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. They say he is not correct until everybody now knows why they took that stance because the state gifted them a gift that was not appropriate.
“NBA took N300 million and said it was a gift.
”In my budget I put it as a grant. I am allowed by law because it is appropriated. In this case the gift was not appropriated. NBA took an illegal gift,” he maintainted.
