₦airaland Forum

I have read the views of some of my colleagues that the NBA should return the sum of N300 million donated to it by the legitimate Rivers State Governor for the 2025 Annual General Conference of the Bar, which was initially scheduled to hold in Rivers State in August this year. Some of my colleagues went further to argue that the NBA should not collect money from the government and that the NBA must be self-funding. Plausible and sound as these arguments may be, I think most are not rooted in the realities of our situation as Nigerian lawyers.

But before returning to this, let me repeat what I said earlier on this N300 million. I have expressed the view that—even if the N300 million given to the NBA by Governor Sim Fubara was for hosting rights, as claimed by the illegal and unconstitutional Sole Administrator of Rivers State—it would be unconstitutional and unlawful for the NBA to return the money to the Sole Administrator. Doing so would amount to recognizing him as a legitimate authority in Rivers State. I do not even think the Sole Administrator deserves a reply from the NBA. If he feels strongly about his case, he should go to court and enforce the alleged breach of the hosting rights agreement. We will meet him there. In any case, was he appointed as a debt collector or to restore peace in Rivers State, which his appointors claim Governor Sim Fubara could not? What an absurdity of illegality.

I stand by this view. The illegal and unconstitutional Sole Administrator can go to court. We will meet him there. But my main concern now is the trending suggestion by my colleagues that the NBA should refund the money and not be funded by those in power. I welcome these suggestions. Let us begin by setting examples. Those who believe the money should be refunded should start by making donations to the NBA, enabling the association to return the money to the Governor of Rivers State when he is reinstated.

As far as I know, the NBA survives largely on donations from governments and other willing donors to fund its Annual General Conferences. Conference registration fees alone are not sufficient to host these events. How many lawyers in Nigeria are willing and ready to donate generously to the NBA for its annual conferences? How much do we pay as membership fees to fund NBA activities? Even the practising fees are reluctantly paid by many.

Are we, as lawyers, truly ready for an independent Bar that does not go cap in hand to fund its activities and conferences?

Many times, we even struggle to pay for annual conferences. Year in, year out, we debate the conference fees. How many senior lawyers, especially Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other senior members of the profession, are willing to pay one million Naira each as conference fees for NBA events? Yet we eagerly pay far more to attend IBA and CLA events, including flight tickets and accommodation.

While I deeply appreciate the views of my colleagues on the need for the NBA to be self-funded and self-sufficient, we must all commit to financially supporting the association and ensuring its accountability. The NBA must invest, grow, and become profitable to stand tall. That said, I see no reason to return the money—especially since it was not tied to hosting rights. If we all agree that the NBA should not accept money from the government, then we must also agree to fund it ourselves.

Jubril Sam Okutepa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Constitutional lawyer

If person and this man play the "lock eye game and never to blink", this man might surely win!!........This man looks like somehow who has really passed through the rough edges of this country that he now sees and takes everything for a fight!!......

At the end of the day, you lawyers are no different from the corrupt administration you claim to be against. Your entire argument here is that the government is not legitimate, but the money that comes from it's accounts is legitimate. Then there's the "if Nigerians wants us to refund the money, then they should donate another money to us instead." Show me a better illustration of criminality.

If you guys really have integrity like you seem to delude yourselves, wouldn't it be a better statement of your stand against corruption to not have anything to do with the government funds in order to maintain that facade of independence and autonomy? Are you people trying to say that all the lawyers in Nigeria cannot contribute money towards hosting a single conference?

But before returning to this, let me repeat what I said earlier on this N300 million. I have expressed the view that—even if the N300 million given to the NBA by Governor Sim Fubara was for hosting rights, as claimed by the illegal and unconstitutional Sole Administrator of Rivers State—it would be unconstitutional and unlawful for the NBA to return the money to the Sole Administrator. Doing so would amount to recognizing him as a legitimate authority in Rivers State. I do not even think the Sole Administrator deserves a reply from the NBA. If he feels strongly about his case, he should go to court and enforce the alleged breach of the hosting rights agreement. We will meet him there. In any case, was he appointed as a debt collector or to restore peace in Rivers State, which his appointors claim Governor Sim Fubara could not? What an absurdity of illegality."

The summary
I have said it before they shouldn't dignify the impostor with reply. Since he want act as a debt collector, he should go to court

It seems Ibas the admin was given one instruction which was to do whatever Wike says. All his actions are things Wike would have done. For a soldier like him, who rose to the highest position in the Navy, I must say, this is shameful.

See am now

Supported!

The old Military idiot who is sucking Wike’s testicles at old age has only 6 months to stay.

Let him and his fools sue NBA to High Court. They will still be filing process and 6 months will be here.

Immediately Fubara comes back to office, he will simply tell court that Rivers State is discontinuing the case.

Case struck out.

And everybody will go home.

Ronu maggots should find something else to masturbate about.

Gbamsolute!!!! Go to court and we will meet there.....stop threatening our NBA lol

Everything in Nigeria is now done in an agbero and tout way because the president has a questionable character.

IBAS is an illegitimate usurper who has no right to ask NBA about monies donated to it by a legitimate govt ..NBA should stop replying him because the position he claims to hold is alien to our constitution and a figment of he and Wikes imagination ...In due course justice will win and people like IBAS will eat the the karma of the disgrace they are farming

It is funny for this sole administrator to be threatening NBA with law suit, who owns the court?? Which lawyer or judge no dey under NBA? You want an association standing for rule of law to hold their conference in a lawless state that is under siege? Democracy never bad reach like that!

Stup ole sitting in govt fund. I blame Tinubu for this mess, who dash this monkey 🐒 banana

Lol do refund you say no if u go to court now and colet again you will start saying the Judges are corrupt...


Where's you're not different from the Judge you call corrupt do refund since u wan protest....



Corruption is in everybody's blood you can see how they're supporting the corruption bkuz they love the enabler....

Robbers in robes.

You no go kee pesin, you say he dey suck Wike wetin?

Penguin2:
Supported!

The old Military idiot who is sucking Wike’s testicles at old age has only 6 months to stay.

Let him and his fools sue NBA to High Court. They will still be filing process and 6 months will be here.

Immediately Fubara comes back to office, he will simply tell court that Rivers State is discontinuing the case.

Case struck out.

And everybody will go home.

Ronu maggots should find something else to masturbate about.

Three GBOSA for NBA !

Who dey check am please.

An eye for an eye !

Illegality for Illegality.

They don carry fire look soilder face.

Do your worse Ibas.

Ayéwádà.

Simple

Nigeria na real jungle! 😀😀😀😀😀
Even NBA wan swindle Rivers State money!

The right thing to do ...this is what I have been saying since ,the sole administrator is not legal in the eyes of the laws of the land ..and so returning that money will be according legality to the illegal administrator in rivers state....they should return the money to the government that gave it to them....I don't know why agbadorians support Illegality and corruption...nawaoh for them

NBA you guys are criminals, just refund the money isn't that simple . So you guys are also among the people fooling and misinterpreting laws to FUBARA just to get money from him. This is very unfortunate from NBA

Xannadu:
At the end of the day, you lawyers are no different from the corrupt administration you claim to be against. Your entire argument here is that the government is not legitimate, but the money that comes from it's accounts is legitimate. Then there's the "if Nigerians wants us to refund the money, then they should donate another money to us instead." Show me a better illustration of criminality.

did the money come from this man or from SIM?
who among the two above is legitimate?

make up your mind guy

Nigeria with an incredible vibe. Too much wahala day in day out.

My thoughts and prayers are with the government and people of Plateau and Venue State respectively.

An illegitimate administrator cannot go to court. It'd even be an opportunity for the court to pronounce him illegal.

Ashawo don jam jigolo

Anyone who knows Barrister Okutepa and his journey in life from a farmer to a lawyer, with other jobs in between including a fireman, will know he is not one that can be shaken by anybody.

His response is just the best: serve them the same "go to court" food that they have served everyone else.

I like men who put forward valid and objective argument instead of throwing tantrums

Xannadu:
At the end of the day, you lawyers are no different from the corrupt administration you claim to be against. Your entire argument here is that the government is not legitimate, but the money that comes from it's accounts is legitimate. Then there's the "if Nigerians wants us to refund the money, then they should donate another money to us instead." Show me a better illustration of criminality.

Was it this illegitimate government that donated the funds to NBA?? Currently Rivers do not have an elected governor, unless Fubara come out to say the money was not a gift or there is a binding agreement, this sole administrator don't have any case & can't win this in any court!

Xannadu:
At the end of the day, you lawyers are no different from the corrupt administration you claim to be against. Your entire argument here is that the government is not legitimate, but the money that comes from it's accounts is legitimate. Then there's the "if Nigerians wants us to refund the money, then they should donate another money to us instead." Show me a better illustration of criminality.

It is like you do not read or you are just an illiterate.

The money was provided by SIM, the legitimately elected governor, not Ibas.

Giving answers to Mr Ibas is wrong,he is looking for rivers state money,is he the one that paid the money to NBA,answering an illegitimate administrator is half- sensible on the part of NBA and poor utilization of writing pens and papers talk more of going online with costlier data.

Abi o.

Go to court.


Na una start am.

Wike was building houses for gudges in abuja and rivers has it been refunded? Mad people