FRIDAY April 18, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of receiving an unappropriated N300 million gift from the suspended administration of Siminalayi Fubara in Rivers State.
Wike made the allegation during a media chat held on Thursday in Abuja. He claimed that the NBA’s opposition to the recent emergency rule declared in Rivers State stemmed from the alleged financial gift.
According to Wike, the funds given to the NBA were not legally appropriated, and therefore constituted an illegal transaction.
Wike stated, “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 added.
Recall that Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, leading to the suspension of Governor Fubara and others for six months.
In response, the NBA relocated its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, citing the political situation.
While the NBA has consistently described the emergency rule as unconstitutional, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has demanded that the association return the N300 million given to it by the state government.
